


Hybrid Consequences

by Nikita2130



Category: Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-04-04
Updated: 2014-03-14
Packaged: 2017-11-03 01:19:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 14
Words: 57,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/375480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nikita2130/pseuds/Nikita2130
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Klaus is the first hybrid there is. But, there are consequences of being a hybrid that even he wasn't aware of until a chance look at a book from the time of the Roman Empire. Now, he has to deal with a forbidden mate. Does Klaus even want to have a mate? A human one? Is this mate a weakness he can accept or no? At the same time, he also has to figure out how to sort out the negative feelings between him and his mate's family. Klaus has to make it up to his mate fort killing his aunt, something that he make have a hard time making up. Klaus/Jeremy. Slash. Chapters to fit M rating soon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hiding and Discovery

Disclaimer: The rights to the Vampire Diaries, the books or the TV show, don't belong to me.

Klaus clenched his fists as he walked down the street, trying to calm himself down so he didn't cause an unnecessary death. He was trying to forget about the debacle at the Homecoming where the Salvatores had tried to get his father to kill him. However, he wasn't quite certain if he could contain his anger and began to search for somewhere to hideout while he got rid of his anger.

A strong scent, smelling suspiciously like his own scent, came from somewhere nearby. He looked up, and was surprised when he saw he was near the Gilbert home. He flared his nostrils searching for that scent again and blinked when he determined it was coming from the home of his enemy.

After a small debate, he decided that there was no better place for him to hide than at the home of those trying to kill him. He walked down the street and stopped just a few feet from the house, just remembering that he had never been invited into the house. He was stumped for a moment until he heard footsteps from the other direction on the sidewalk.

He looked over from the corner of his eye and spotted Elena's little brother, no cousin, Jeremy approaching the house with a distracted look on his face. He sniffed, and smelt that same pine and soil scent except now it was tainted with the scent with vervain. He took a deep breath and determined that the scent belonged to the teenager now almost right beside him.

When he looked closer, he saw that the boy was had earphones in his ears and he was most likely distracted by the music blaring through the speakers straight into his ears. He thought to himself that this was too easy, almost as if the Salvatores and Elena thought that he would never even consider going after this boy.

He jerked out of his thoughts when the boy stopped right in front of him, taking an iPod out of his jeans pocket. He shot his hand out with a viper quick motion and grabbed the boy's wrist, spinning him around to look at him. He tightened his grip when he felt the boy try to pull away from him.

"Calm down. I just want to talk to you," he said, assuming that the Gilbert boy could hear him, even over the volume of the music. He was proven correct in his assumption when the boy reached up and took the earphones out his ears, giving him a look that clearly said, get on with it.

He shot his eyes down to the boy's wrist and analyzed the bracelet encircling it. When he looked back up, he noticed that the boy, Jeremy, had gone as pale as a ghost, clearly having realised that the man holding him was not human. He tugged on Jeremy's arm and brought him up against his chest.

"Is the only vervain that you wear this bracelet around your wrist or does your sister get you to bathe in it? I wonder if she slips it into your food without telling you?" he asked, his accented voice taking on a decidedly mean tone. He watched Jeremy give him a bored look, clearly not caring about his words. However, there was a nervous look in his eyes, that screamed that he wanted out of the situation he was and soon.

"What do you want from me?" Jeremy asked, stopping his straining against the man's grip. He had known immediately that there was no way he could get away unless the man allowed him to and with all of the trouble his sister had been getting into lately, he didn't see that happening any time soon.

"I don't want to hurt you, not at the moment at least. I just want a place to stay from the time being, seeing as your sister's boyfriend just took all of my family from me," Klaus said, his voice tapering off into a snarl at the mention of the loss of his family. He hated to be reminded that the little Ripper Salvatore brother had managed to get something over on him.

"So, what? You want me to invite you into my house? When you killed my aunt and technically my sister, even though she's not dead right now?" Jeremy asked, shifting his feet slightly, trying to remember all of his sister's enemies to figure out who this guy was and just how dangerous he was to his health.

"If you want to know who I am, I would tell you if you only asked me," Klaus said, seeing the concentration on the boy's face. He quickly went back to his original topic. "Now, can I stay at your house or will I have to coerce and threaten your into inviting me in?"

Jeremy sighed, knowing that the man wouldn't stop or leave him alone until he did invite him. He gulped when he realized he still had no idea just how dangerous the man was to him. "Alright fine. I'll invite you in. Now please let me go. I can feel my wrist starting to go numb," he said.

Klaus slowly loosened his grip on the boy's wrist but made it clear that he was not going to let him go by wrapping his free arm around his waist. He tugged him with him toward the Gilbert house with Jeremy dragging his feet the whole way. After a moment, Klaus suddenly froze when Jeremy's scent enveloped him completely from the close proximity.

Jeremy stumbled when the man holding him came to a sudden stop. He glanced at the man's face and saw that he was completely confused by something. He had the temptation to say something but didn't quite dare considering he didn't know how far the man's temper or humor went. Instead, he merely cleared his throat in an attempt to get his attention in a non-threatening way.

Klaus snapped out of his confusion and glanced at Jeremy. He lowered his head down to Jeremy's neck and took a deep breath in, inhaling the scent so similar to his own. "I apologise but do you have anything on vampire history in your house?" he asked, trying to shake his obsession out of his head.

Jeremy thought for a moment on his answer, knowing that he shouldn't lie unless he wanted to experience being dead again. "I… I think there might be something in the living room or Elena's room. She and Damon were doing some research or something earlier today and yesterday," he replied.

Klaus nodded and gently lead the boy up the stairs onto the porch and stopped in front of the door. "Now, let's get to the most important part of the evening. At least, most important for you. Invite me in," he instructed.

Jeremy nodded and unlocked the door with slightly shaky hands as he turned the key, feeling the man's eyes on the back of his neck. A chill went down his spine as he realized that this man was either a vampire or a hybrid. A tiny voice in the back of his head told him that he knew who he was but for the life of him he just couldn't think of a name as he stepped over the threshold.

A feeling of safety went through Jeremy but he knew that he shouldn't even think of trying to pull one over on this man. Taking a breath to solidify himself, Jeremy looked straight into the man's blue eyes. "Come in, you son of a-" he began to say but was quickly cut off by the man putting a hand over his mouth before he could finish the sentence.

Klaus smiled inwardly at the daring of the human in front of him but didn't dare to let his amusement show, lest the human truly annoy him. "Thank you, Jeremy," he said, pushing the boy back slowly so he could step fully into the house and close the door without hitting either of them.

Jeremy wanted to get away from this man but the sight of the man's canines lengthening had him freezing in place. He wrapped his hand around the man's wrist and pulled, trying to get him to allow him to breather. "May I know your know name so I know who curse?" he asked when the man did remove his hand.

Klaus threw back his head and laughed at the audacity. The last person who was this bold with him had been Elijah and even then Elijah had still clearly been restraining himself. "My name is Klaus. I'm sure your sister and her friends have told you all about just how evil I am," he said in a mocking tone.

Jeremy swallowed, remembering everything that Elena had told him. He then remembered what Stefan had said to him not even a few hours ago. "Stefan told me that you can be amicable so long as no one annoys you. Does that extend to the human brother of the brother of the Petrova doppelganger?" he asked, slightly curious.

Klaus studied Jeremy and was once again immersed in the scent that resembled his own so much that he would have thought he had just turned the boy into a hybrid. But that was impossible. The scent only lasted about five minutes on them then they regained their own unique scent. "It might," he said noncommittally.

Jeremy nodded and slowly backed away from Klaus until he sat on the couch in the living room. He wasn't really trying to escape the man anymore, seeing as he clearly didn't want to kill him but there was also something that told him Klaus would never kill him. Something that told him that he and Klaus had a bond that no one else could share with either of them.

Klaus smirked slightly at the human then walked over to the coffee table in the kitchen, looking down at the books there. They were clearly a few centuries old to even a millennium. He picked one up and sat down in the armchair across from the couch, beginning to leaf through the book. He froze when he came across a mention of a legend of a hybrid that discovered he had a mate.

Jeremy watched as emotions like rage, disbelief and others that he didn't think bode well for him flew across the Original's face. He swallowed heavily and scooted back on the couch until he was sitting right up against the back of the couch, which was as far he could get from Klaus. "Something wrong?" he asked.

Klaus snapped his head up from the book and stared at Jeremy, studying him. Dark chocolate eyes and dark brown hair along with fine masculine features weren't a turn off for him and he quickly decided that if he had to, he wouldn't mind being bound to the human sitting across from him. "Did you know that you have the same scent as me, except of course for the taint of that vervain you're wearing?" he asked.

Jeremy gaped in shock at Klaus' words and what they implied before he quickly shut his mouth and began to think. He decided that Klaus was either playing with him or they really did share scents. "What about it? It can't be that weird or imply anything can it?" he asked, wanting the Original's opinion.

Klaus slid the book across the table to Jeremy, open to the page about the legend from the Romans. He had never heard of the legend at the time when he had lived within the Roman Empire and determined it must have been written after he had left and his influence was gone. He watched Jeremy read the pages then furrowed his brow as everything dawned on him.

"You think this is true? That I'm your mate or some destiny crap like?" Jeremy asked, still staring down at the book. The words started to swim in front of his eyes and he felt a massive headache coming on. He knew that this information was definitely more than he could handle right now.

"Actually, yes I do think this is true. However, what it means for the both of us is as of yet unclear to me," Klaus said, standing up and beginning to explore the house.

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A/N: I'm trying this pairing and fandom out. If no one reviews and says that they like it then I'm removing this fic from . Hopefully someone like it and I continue writing it knowing that I'm not the only one. Hopefully, I've portrayed the characters right. If not, please tell. Anything else that's wrong, I'm willing to consider changing it if you point it out. I haven't really watched Season 3 except for one or two here and there. So, from whatever episode Stefan stole those four coffins in, this continues from, I suppose. I haven't really figured out the time line.


	2. Discussions, Acceptance and Getting to Know Your Mate

Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries, the TV show or the books. I also do not own the story about Klaus's family. It was taken from Klaus's page on the Vampire Diaries wikia.

"So, how are we going to tell my sister about this? You did kill her and our aunt after all so I don't think it will be easy to get her to accept this," Jeremy said, speaking after at least an hour's worth of silence in the house while Klaus looked around with him remaining on the couch. He wasn't worried about Elena's reaction really but more what Elena would try to get the Salvatores to do to 'save him'.

Klaus glanced over his shoulder at Jeremy from where he stood at the table with all of the books, once again studying the tale of mates for hybrids. "Yes, she's not likely to take this very well, is she?" he asked, turning away from the book to walk over to the couch Jeremy sat on. He sat down beside the boy and gave a slight sneer to the vervain tainted bracelet around Jeremy's wrist. He was tempted to ask the boy to take off the bracelet but knew that that would only make him think he wanted to compel him.

Jeremy, knowing that the question had been rhetorical, said nothing but followed Klaus's gaze to his bracelet. He hesitated, knowing that while Klaus was a hybrid, the vervain in it was most likely affecting him, Original or not. He reached over with his hand to unclasp the bracelet from his wrist. He threw it on the table before him and turned to look at Klaus.

Klaus raised an eyebrow at the trust the boy was placing in him but he conceded to himself that it was reasonable considering the book said no hybrid could harm their mate directly. He frowned, remembering when he had briefly thought of using Jeremy to lure Elena to him for the ritual but something inside of him had screamed in protest at the idea. He hadn't thought much of it at the time but now that he did, he realised that subconsciously, he had known that Jeremy was important to him, even before he had been a hybrid.

Jeremy searched for something to say before settling on the topic of family. He let out a breath as quietly as he could then looked directly at Klaus. "So what was the deal with your father? Elena never told me why you hated the man so much. She did say that she thought he must have done something to you but that's all she said," he said. He wasn't sure how Klaus would react, remembering how anyone could become touchy on the subject of family.

Klaus was surprised when he did not feel that normal anger rise up at the mention of his father. He looked into Jeremy's eyes, preparing to see pity or other similar emotions but blinked slightly in shock when all he saw was honest curiosity. He hesitated but his instincts were telling him that it wouldn't hurt to tell his mate about his family. He shook his head slightly when he found himself automatically referring to Jeremy as his mate without any thought or hesitation at all.

"I believe it would be easier if I told you the story of how I became an Original vampire for that event has everything to do with how I feel about my father, even the whole of my family. My mother Esther was a witch. My brothers and I have a different father. She had an affair with a man, a werewolf actually. However, my mother didn't have any idea of the man's true species. Mikael wasn't my father but that of the rest of my siblings," Klaus said then paused, unsure how to continue.

Jeremy could feel the hesitancy coming off of Klaus. He wasn't sure how to act around the man, mate or not. He knew that this would be only thing he would actually dedicate all of his attention to. He reached out a hand and laid it on Klaus's arm lightly, trying to lend support without words. He knew that if he spoke then Klaus would most likely say nothing else.

Klaus felt the hand on his arm and took it as the support it was. He wasn't used to people helping him, instead used to having to manipulate them for that to happen. "I was actually born in a small village that would soon become this town, Mystic Falls. I have six half-siblings; an unnamed brother who died before I was born, Elijah, Finn, Kol, Rebekah and Henrik.

"Mikael, my step-father, was wealthy landowner and he and my mother moved to the New World when their home village was ravaged by a plague. I was close to all of my family except for Mikael because I was not his son and not from his bloodline so he resented my existence I suppose you could say.

"After a werewolf killed my brother Henrik, my mother performed a ritual that transformed my siblings, Mikael and I into vampires. However, when I made my first human kill, the werewolf gene in my blood was activated revealing my mother's unfaithfulness to Mikael. He then hunted down my real father and all of his family, killing them. What he didn't realise at the time was that he was igniting a war between vampires and werewolves that has continued to today.

"Soon after I became a vampire and discovered my werewolf side, my mother placed a curse on me that forced my werewolf side to lie dormant and then abandon me. In retaliation and because of my heightened rage from the werewolf and vampire blood in my veins, I killed my mother, framing it on Mikael," Klaus finished, avoiding looking at Jeremy.

Jeremy had been increasingly shocked as Klaus told him his family history, so shocked that he was sure there were no more irises in his eyes. He blinked once then looked over at Klaus. He tightened his hand around Klaus's arm, trying to get him to at least look at him.

Klaus sighed and finally looked at Jeremy. "I don't usually tell my family history to anyone. I never even spoke Elijah or any of my other siblings about anything. I preferred to forget about it, not relive it as I knew I would if I spoke to anyone about it. And, I never trusted people very easily but for some reason, I'm finding it very easy to trust you right now," he said, meeting Jeremy's eyes directly and resisting the urge to compel Jeremy to forget the story he had just told him.

Jeremy immediately understood. Secrets were a topic that he was very familiar with personally. "How about we forget we ever spoke about this and try to figure out what to tell Elena? I've always found that concentrating on something else helps for at least as long as the distraction lasts," he said, squeezing Klaus's arm again. He didn't lie, knowing that the truth would allow Klaus to trust him.

Klaus smiled slightly at Jeremy's words, the smile more of a small smirk. ""I honestly think that the truth would work best. It's your sister's choice whether she accepts what we tell her or not. I think you should wear your vervain bracelet and drink some vervain before we tell. If you don't have the vervain, she'll most likely think that I'm only manipulating you," he said. He reached a hand up, cupping Jeremy's cheek.

The two started to lean towards each other but a sudden burst of music broke them out the spell they had been in. Jeremy leaned back against the arm of the couch and Klaus stood up, walking over to the table in the kitchen where he had dropped his cell phone while looking around the house. When he reached his phone, the display read Stefan.

Jeremy stood up when he heard Klaus slam his phone down on the table. He slowly walked over to him, being cautious of the hybrid's temper. "Klaus," he said softly, "Klaus, I don't think the phone did anything to you." He gasped when he felt himself suddenly slammed against the kitchen wall. As the sound escaped him, a split second after he made contact with the wall, he was released. He looked up and saw Klaus backing away, his hands still shaking with anger.

Klaus clenched his hands into fists, trying to calm his anger so that he didn't harm Jeremy. He walked over to the table, pulling out a chair which he dropped into. He looked up from the table when he heard Jeremy slowly approach the table. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lay a finger on you like that. It's just… I have a habit of making friends then believing that they will never betray then…" he trailed off, unsure how to finish which was a new feeling for him.

Jeremy smiled at the way Klaus seemed to be uncomfortable with what he was saying and feeling. He grabbed the chair beside Klaus and sat down, resting his hand on top of one of Klaus's where they sat on the tabletop. "I understand. You start thinking of someone as your friend and you never want to think the opposite, especially when they've given you every reason to not think that of them. I've never been much of a friend person but I imagine that it must hurt," he said, "to be betrayed by one you trust."

Klaus curled his fingers inward, twining them with Jeremy's. "The thing that bothers me the most is that I've known ever since I met Stefan again that I wouldn't be able to trust him. Like my brother, Elijah, he's too set in his morals and following that stupid path of morality," he said. He yanked on Jeremy's arm suddenly, pulling him out of his seat and onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around the boy's waist tightly, holding him to him.

Jeremy's brain was screaming at him to pull away, that this was wrong but his body melted against Klaus and his heart beat faster in excitement at being so close to his mate. "I hate to ruin the moment, but you don't think I'm a weakness because I'm human do you?" he asked, worried about the answer but also embarrassed at his need to ask. But, he knew he had a right to ask, especially after what Elijah said about Klaus not caring all that much about human life.

Klaus rested his chin on Jeremy's shoulder and pulled him closer. He huffed out a breath, the wolf side of him coming out to show its protectiveness. "No, not you. Perhaps any other human but you are aware of the supernatural and you know how to protect yourself. You may trust too easily but I've learned that even I do that sometimes," he said, his lips brushing Jeremy's ear.

Jeremy sighed in relief, leaning his head back to rest against Klaus, who squeezed his sides comfortingly. "I still have no idea what to say to Elena to explain this. I know we should show her the book to make the explanation easier but we need something to say to make her listen instead of trying to kill you," he said, a joking note to his voice considering both he and Klaus knew that Elena, even with the help of the Salvatores, wouldn't be able to kill Klaus.

Klaus shrugged, shifting Jeremy slightly so that he didn't move him with the motion. "I'm sure one of us will think of something. I suppose she is spending most of her time over at the Salvatore boarding house and not here at home with you?" he asked, unconsciously raising a hand and running it through Jeremy's hair.

Jeremy nodded, leaning his head into Klaus's hand, the man's fingers running through his hair oddly soothing, something Jeremy knew no one would associate with the Original without seeing it firsthand. "Yeah, she's been spending time planning with Damon, as you unfortunately know. Also she's been whining about how un-Stefan Stefan has been acting. I'm just wondering how long it will be until she actually remembers that her home isn't the boarding house," he replied.

Klaus nodded, gently gripping a handful of Jeremy's hair and pulling his head back. He bent his neck down to Jeremy's neck, unable to resist nuzzling his nose into the pale skin. He raised his head and was about to kiss him when his ears suddenly picked up the sound of the front door opening. He jerked his head up and toward the door, releasing Jeremy's hair but keeping him in his lap and pressed up against him. He curled his lip up in a snarl, waiting for whoever was interrupting to make their way to the living room.

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A/N: Hope I still have everyone as in character as I can, what with the fact the story is OOC from the show in the first place. I also hope you like the chapter.


	3. Search and Surprise

“I’m just glad that that didn’t go completely wrong. It could have gone extremely better than it did but… at least no one died,” Elena said, pacing slightly in the parlor of the Salvatore Boarding House. Her hair was disheveled from running her hands through it repeatedly and pulling on it in frustration. 

Damon was standing over by the fireplace, leaning against the mantle. He watched with a tired expression as Elena continued to pace back and forth. He knew in his head that what Elena was most frustrated about was the fact that Stefan had aided Klaus and not the fact that the plan to kill him had failed. He could not help but be a little frustrated. It wasn’t that she was fixated on his little brother but that she was not focused on the bigger picture.

“Elena,” he said, trying to gain her attention and stop her pacing. He hadn’t known that a vampire could get dizzy from watching someone pace but he was feeling very close to it. “Elena!” he shouted, finally getting exasperated and startling her into stopping in her tracks. “Stop focusing on my little brother and think. The more important picture is that Klaus is still alive to terrorize the town and we just learned that Stefan created a bigger problem.”

Elena blinked in confusion at Damon’s words. She didn’t remember Damon telling her about anything that Stefan had done to antagonize Klaus. “What do you mean Damon? What did Stefan do?” she asked, knowing that he would most likely not be pleased that she was asking about what she should already know.

Damon restrained himself from rolling his eyes. He was making sure to dampen his feelings for Elena to make sure that he did not make himself biased in the situation but he was finding it very easy at the moment what with Elena’s single mindedness. He sighed. “Dear Stefan decided to go out and steal Klaus’s family from him. Four coffins. Three of them have neutralized Originals and the fourth is sealed. Stefan suspects that it’s sealed by magic,” he said. “I personally think he shouldn’t have stolen them, that it will be less help and just another obstacle.”

Elena sighed and collapsed down onto the couch. She looked around the parlor, at all of the old style furniture: the chairs, the lights, the fireplace, even the floor made it clear that the house hadn’t changed much in the years. “Isn’t it a good thing? If Stefan has leverage against Klaus, then maybe we can have a reprieve, some time to plan out what to do next,” she said, looking up and meeting Damon’s eyes. 

Damon allowed his familiar smirk to spread across his face. “Normally, I would agree with you that it would help us however, after Stefan called Klaus to tell him about his little thieving escapade, Klaus just hung up without even threatening Stefan or anyone else that Klaus knows he cares about, whether he switched off his humanity or not,” he said. 

“Well, it’s not like Klaus can hurt anyone. I’m here with you so I’m sure he won’t even try, besides he needs my blood to make his hybrids. Stefan, well, no one knows where he is right now obviously. Bonnie’s a witch, I think that speaks for itself. Tyler is with Caroline and he wouldn’t kill or hurt one of his hybrids just to get to Stefan. Alaric’s out of town right now. All of that means everyone is accounted for and there’s no one to use as leverage,” Elena said confidently. 

Damon ran through the list of people that would be even remotely important to Stefan. Katherine had disappeared after Mikael had burst into flames. Tyler and Caroline were together like Elena had said. He could take of Elena and himself. Alaric was out of Klaus’s reach. He thought really hard to himself, knowing there was someone else important that both he and Elena were forgetting. Suddenly, it hit him who they were forgetting. “Elena, where’s mini Gilbert?” he asked

Elena jerked her head up at the reference to her brother, shocked that she had forgotten about him. He was the most vulnerable, knowing the least about the preternatural. He was also the one who knew next to nothing about Klaus. She knew that her brother had never been told what Klaus looked like. “I… I never even thought about him. He just seems like…” she trailed unable to complete the lie she was just about to allow to fall from her tongue. The truth was that her brother would be the first that Klaus thought of and not the last like she wanted.

Damon sighed and pushed himself away from the mantle. “I’ll go look for the kid. But before I leave, try calling him and seeing where he is so it makes it easier for me to track him down and bring him here. I don’t want to search all of Mystic Falls for him,” he said. He went over to the leather chair and grabbed his leather jacket, throwing it on and zipping it up. 

Elena quickly jumped to her feet and rushed to her bag on the table by the door to retrieve her phone. When she finally dug it out, she quickly unlocked it and dialed Jeremy. She put it to her ear and waited impatiently, tapping her foot in the anxious silence. “Come one Jeremy. Answer your phone,” she muttered to herself, worry beginning to make her throat close.

Damon listened closely and he knew when he heard the beep that signalled voicemail, he knew that the little Gilbert was going to a problem. Sighing, he shook his head at Elena. “It’s no use, Elena. I’ll just have to look for him. Where would he be, usually, at this time of the day?” he asked, inwardly praying that it would not be more than two or three places to check.

“Well, there are only two or three places I can think for you to check. My house, the Grill and the Cemetery are the only places in town he would go. I’d start with the Grill. It’s practically his home away from home, for reasons I can’t even think about understanding,” Elena replied, understanding that Damon would like start with the complete opposite of what she suggested in his current mood. So, knowing Jeremy would actually be at home considering the time, she suggested the Grill, praying Damon would follow pattern for at least this one time.

Damon nodded, inwardly smirking. He knew what Elena was doing, playing reverse psychology with him but he let her because he wasn’t in the mood to play games with Elena. He also didn’t want to listen to her rant because he could have helped her brother but instead spent his time playing with her. Instead he just said he would be back in an hour or so with her brother and left. 

Elena watched from the window of the boarding house as Damon got into his blue 1969 Chevrolet Camaro. At least, she thought that was what Damon had told her it was. Honestly she hadn’t been paying attention at the time and right now she was more concerned with Damon finding her brother and keeping him safe to care all that much about what his car was. Sighing, she went back over to the couch and threw herself onto it. She put her arm over her eyes and tried to go to sleep, preparing for either good or bad news.

{HC}

Damon drove through Mystic Falls, looking for Elena’s little brother. Truthfully, he thought this was a waste of time. The boy didn’t have much use except for a distraction, although he did have to admit that he would most likely be more help if Elena actually let him in on what they were doing. 

Every street he drove onto had the streetlights on and the houses and some buildings and businesses had their lights on, despite it being… He glanced at his watched and raised an eyebrow in surprise at the time: 1:oo in the morning. An odd time for everything, especially the Grill and other businesses to be open at. He had to pass the Grill to reach Elena’s house anyway so he decided to stop there first after all.

After hanging around and searching the Grill for more than a half an hour, he knew that he would not be finding Jeremy here. With a resigned thought to a long night, Damon went back to his car and drove toward the Gilbert home. He was forced to pull over when he was about five blocks away to answer his phone. Rolling his eyes in fond but bordering on exasperated irritation, Damon expected to see Elena’s name on the screen but was less than pleased to see Stefan’s name there instead.

However much he didn’t want to speak to speak to his little brother, he knew that he didn’t have much choice if he wanted information on Klaus and Jeremy. He pressed the accept button on the screen and pressed his phone to his ear. “What do you want Stefan? I’m a little busy at the moment,” he drawled, hoping to get to the point quickly before he lost his patience.

“Elena texted me about your search for her brother so I thought that I should tell you that Caroline and Tyler saw Klaus wandering in the direction of Elena’s house. He’s not invented in and Jeremy’s still wearing his vervain so I doubt he would be invited in any time in the future. However, no one we know or who know about Klaus has seen him since Caroline did,” Stefan said, his voice flat.

Damon narrowed his eyes, easily able to tell that his brother had switched his humanity and emotions back on. He could hear the effort in Stefan’s voice to keep it flat and figured he must have done so because he felt it was for the “greater good” or something like that. Instead of thinking on it, he concentrated back on the real topic. “I’m already close to the house. I can check it out for the mini Gilbert in a moment. I would already be there if you hadn’t felt the need to bother your busy older brother,” he said.

Stefan scoffed through the phone. “Busy? Doing what? Protecting Elena’s brother to get on her good graces? Don’t try to lie either, I know you don’t care all that much for Jeremy, at least not enough to use up your time searching the town for him,” he said. There was noise in the background, like the creak of wood and a curse from Stefan. 

Damon waited until he was sure he would have his brother’s attention before he said anything. “So, did you want to come here and check for the little Gilbert with me? Or can I continue on my merry way looking for the pesky Emo teenager?” Damon asked, allowing his anger and impatience to bleed into his voice. 

Stefan sighed. “No thank you, Damon. I can tell you’re in one of your bad moods. I think I’ll just spend my time with the se coffins or maybe I’ll go and see Elena. Anyway, I wish you good luck on your search for Jeremy. I can tell you that he’s pretty good at not being found when he doesn’t want to be,” he said before he hung up.

Damon threw his phone down onto the seat beside him then started his car and pulled away from the curb to continue on to the Gilbert household. His mind drifted back to the phone conversation with Stefan. He had forgotten how his brother could be without his emotions. What made Stefan, Stefan were his emotions and without them… he just didn’t seem like Stefan.

He pulled up against the curb in front of the Gilbert house, turning off the engine of his car. He opened the door and got out but froze when a familiar scent reached him. It was Klaus. He narrowed his eyes and sniffed, trying to pinpoint which direction the scent was coming from and how old it was. His eyes widened involuntarily when he pinpointed that it was leading to the house and that it very recent, at least a few minutes to a half an hour. He went up the walk to the porch and paused. He sniffed the air again, searching for Jeremy’s scent to see whether he was there. His eyes widened involuntarily when he discovered that Jeremy was there.

Damon frowned, freezing into a statue when it suddenly occurred to him how similar Jeremy’s scent was to Klaus’s. He wasn’t sure what it meant but he was determined to find out. He unfroze and turned the doorknob, opening the door. He walked into the house, closing the door behind him.

He sniffed, following the similar scents to the kitchen. He walked slowly, trying to puzzle out to himself why the two men who had never met each other had similar scents. The only way he knew for that to him was to be related, which was obviously not the case here, to have slept together: again not the case for they had never met until tonight apparently, and lastly was to have been turned but Klaus’s scent should have faded by now had that been the case. After all, Klaus’s scent had lasted barely five minutes on Tyler according to Caroline. 

He froze at the sight that greeted him as he entered the kitchen. His first thought of the sight made him grimace to himself. Elena will not be happy about this. Although… it might just prove to be entertaining enough to give me something to do.


	4. Dilemma

Jeremy blinked in confusion at Klaus’s 180 turn in his attitude and actions. He shifted slightly, or tried to shift anyway. Klaus was holding him tightly, almost as if he were afraid that someone would try to take Jeremy from him. He jumped at the snarl that slipped past Klaus’s lips but knew that it was not directed at him. “Klaus?” he asked, his voice timid. He wasn’t sure if the man was rational right now or not so he found it better to show his submission now instead of when it was too late. 

Klaus relaxed his muscles slightly, trying to show Jeremy that nothing was wrong. He didn’t say anything, instead listening for whomever he had heard entering the house. He narrowed his eyes at the sound of the light but predatory footsteps. He knew who they belonged to but he couldn’t think of the name, not with Jeremy’s scent filling him with how close he was he was. 

Jeremy held still when he felt Klaus relax against him. He knew that he was trying to figure out whatever had grabbed his attention and that was when he heard the faint footsteps. He made the connection of who it was almost immediately. He had spent enough time with the vampire lately to be able to know his footsteps, no matter how faint they were to his hearing. “Damon,” he whispered softly, tilting his head back to be able to direct the words to Klaus and also to show that he was not trying to get the other vampire’s attention. 

Klaus tensed slightly when Jeremy spoke but he relaxed when he determined that the name was directed to him, that Jeremy was only helping him to identify who it was that had entered the house. He ran his fingers through Jeremy’s hair again and pulled the boy’s head back. He looked over Jeremy’s shoulder at the entrance to the kitchen, at the same time that he was listening to the footsteps. When he was sure that Damon was close to entering the kitchen, he tightened his grip on Jeremy’s hair and pressed his lips to Jeremy’s.

Jeremy froze in shock when Klaus kissed him. He knew why the hybrid was doing this and he wasn’t sure how he felt about being used as something to flaunt, especially to Damon. The vampire would never let him forgot about it. He relaxed at Klaus’s whisper against his lips. 

Klaus could tell that Jeremy was thinking that he was using him and that he didn’t mean anything lasting with the kiss and knew that he had to do something to stop those thoughts. “Relax. I’m not using you, Jeremy. Not matter what anyone would tell you, I would never use anyone the way that you’re thinking. I can understand why you would think that I am but it’s not like that,” he whispered against Jeremy’s lips. 

Jeremy felt relieved at the words and that was when he heard Damon’s footsteps get slightly louder then suddenly stop and knew that he was standing in the doorway, staring at him and Klaus. He had an urge to pull away but he had an even bigger one to get under Damon’s skin and show that he was in this willingly. He leaned his head slightly forward and pressed his lips against Klaus’s. He kissed him roughly and when he was going to pull away, Klaus deepened the kiss and pulled away after a minute.

Klaus knew he had a slightly smirk on his face, especially after what Jeremy had done, something that he had never expected from him. But, he didn’t know much about him and he knew better than to trust the words of others. He preferred to make his own opinion. Shaking his head, he turned his attention to Damon, who was looking undecided about whether he should tear Jeremy away from his or bleach the scene from his eyes.

Damon knew that the scene he walked in on in the kitchen was meant to show him something but he was more concerned with watching Jeremy from the moment he walked into the kitchen and froze in the doorway. He could easily see that the mini Gilbert was relaxed and not at all resistant to what was happening. What made him doubt that this was actually willing for him was that he was not wearing his vervain bracelet and there wasn’t even a slight lacing of vervain to his scent. 

Jeremy glanced at Damon and saw the hesitant belief on his face. An epiphany struck him and he glanced down at his wrist, seeing that he hadn’t put his bracelet back on. He knew that without it on, Damon would most likely not believe that Klaus had not compelled him to be complacent at what he was doing.

Klaus locked his gaze with that of Damon. “Don’t even dare to think that, Salvatore. I am not compelling Jeremy to do anything and he took off his vervain bracelet of his own free will. And you should know that no matter what you compel the mind; the body can give the compulsion away. Jeremy has not made even the slightest subconscious move towards you,” he said.

Damon turned his eyes away from Klaus and back to Jeremy. “You really know how to get in trouble, kid,” he said before he used his vampiric speed to go over, grab Jeremy’s arm and drag him over to the doorway before Klaus or Jeremy could really react. He had never really shown much care for the little Gilbert so he knew neither one would expect him to do anything. 

Klaus growled when he felt Jeremy ripped away from him and he glanced at the doorway to see Damon standing there holding Jeremy in front of him like a shield. He held himself still in the chair, restraining himself from moving. He wouldn’t put it past Damon to harm Jeremy just to see if he true about not having compelled him. Something inside him told him to look at the fingers of Jeremy’s right hand and when he finally gave in; he saw a ring that was familiar to him. 

Jeremy was disoriented for a moment until he finally grasped that he was no longer sitting on Klaus, but standing with Damon holding him tightly in front of him. He turned his head to look where he had been sitting with Klaus and saw the hybrid still sitting there, glaring at Damon. “Damon, he really didn’t do anything to me. You can compel me to tell the truth if you want just let me go before Klaus kills you, he said, pulling on his arm.

Damon looked down at Jeremy and saw the sincerity there. He let out a sigh of frustration and turned the boy around. “Look me in the eyes, Jeremy,” he said. He saw hesitation in his eyes but knew that was because Jeremy didn’t trust him to compel him only to tell the truth. “Just look me in the eyes.” When Jeremy finally did meet his eyes, he allowed instincts to take him over. “Has Klaus compelled you or forced you to do anything you would never do?”

Jeremy’s eyes dilated slightly with the compulsion and glazed over. “No,” he said in a flat but honest tone. He didn’t say anything else but that was only because he hadn’t been asked anything else. He felt a slight tickle of annoyance and anger in the back but he knew that it was from Klaus. 

Damon frowned uncertain, but he couldn’t deny that Jeremy could not be compelled to lie under compulsion. That just never worked because you could never predict how the other vampire would phrase their question. He let go of Jeremy’s arm and didn’t move an inch when Jeremy slowly backed away from him then walked over to Klaus. 

Klaus quickly grabbed Jeremy’s arm and pulled him up against him, putting his nose up against Jeremy’s neck to inhale his mate’s scent to make sure that he wasn’t hurt. He was annoyed that Jeremy had allowed himself to be compelled but he understood that it was the only was the only way they would have got Damon to believe either of them. He sat back down, having stood up to grab Jeremy, pulling his mate onto his lap to keep him close. 

Jeremy didn’t resist Klaus, knowing that the hybrid was being controlled by his wolf’s urge to protect his mate. He did resist though when Klaus gave him an irritated and angry glare. He knew how to protect himself and he would never put himself in danger, especially when he knew that it would worry Klaus and put him in pain for he was quickly learning that they felt each other’s pain because of the mate bond between them. “Klaus don’t look at me like that. I knew what I was doing and I won’t let you make decisions for me,” he said, glaring back at Klaus. 

Klaus kept glaring for a minute then gave in, knowing that being Jeremy’s mate didn’t him the right to control him. He wouldn’t like Jeremy without his spirit anyway. If he controlled Jeremy, he was sure that he would be an empty shell instead of the amusing 16 year old that he was. He softened his gaze, showing Jeremy that he agreed. “I know, that would be wrong to make your choices for you. I was just worried about you,” he said, his voice soft. 

Damon was starting to get uncomfortable and impatient. “Alright, while this moment is touching, I would like to know what is going on here so that I can explain this to Elena and the others,” he said, not moving. He knew that if he did, Klaus would most likely make him regret that movement even if it was only an inch because he had compelled the little Gilbert.

Jeremy jumped slightly at the sound of Damon’s voice. He had completely forgotten that the other vampire was hear, having been engrossed with Klaus. He tilted his head back to look at Klaus for guidance as to whether he should say anything or not. He smiled when he saw a shrug in Klaus’s eyes telling him to do whatever he felt was right. He looked back at Damon and took a deep breath then let it out. 

“If you could come over here and read the pages in the book Jeremy is going to give you, we could explain everything you want to know after you finish the pages,” Klaus said, easily able to tell that Jeremy had no idea where to start for the both of them hadn’t thought that they would have to explain to anyone this soon after finding out for themselves. 

Jeremy looked for the book on the table, grabbed it then quickly flipped it open and to the right starting page. He held it out to Damon, who had walked over to stand across the table from him and Klaus. “Read those four pages. Then we’ll answer any questions that the book doesn’t answer for you,” he said, leaning back against Klaus and shifting to get comfortable. 

Klaus felt Jeremy shift and put his hands on Jeremy’s hips, lifting up and moving him to a new spot on his lap, hoping that it would be more comfortable. He looked over at Damon to see that the younger vampire had sat down in the chair across the table from them and was reading the pages Jeremy had pointed out to him. He rested his head on Jeremy’s shoulder, feeling too lazy to hold it up and knowing that Jeremy wouldn’t mind. He could feel his wolf purring inside of him at being able to hold his mate and having at least one person open to listening to his and Jeremy’s explanation and not just jumping to conclusions.

Damon couldn’t believe what he was reading but looking up at Klaus and Elena’s little brother, he was able to see his own proof to the veracity of the myth he just finished reading. He closed the book and put it down on the table. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “So, what you’re saying is that Jeremy, Elena’s little brother, is your mate?” he asked.

Klaus didn’t hesitate in his answer. “Yes. We’re not quite sure of everything that this comes with but we’ve got most of it figured out. But we have established that the myth is true and not just a work of creative writing,” he said. He moved his head from Jeremy’s shoulder, instead burying his nose in his hair, inhaling the scent. He found that the more he breathed in Jeremy’s scent, the calmer it made him despite being similar to his scent. 

Jeremy moved his hand down to hold Klaus’s then looked up at Damon, who was watching the two of them interact with each other. “We know that we can feel each other’s emotions like when you grabbed me and pulled me away from Klaus, I could feel how Klaus was annoyed and angry at what you were doing and the fact that I was all the way across the room,” he said.

Damon raised an eyebrow at that. “So, will you two always have to be right where the other is or will say Jeremy be able to be here and Klaus on the other side of town? Because right, from what I’ve seen and heard so far, it looks like you have to be right beside each other and not any further,” he said.

Klaus shook his head, finally raising it from Jeremy to look at Damon. “No, it won’t always be like that. It’s only like that right now because I’ve just found out that because I’m a hybrid I have a mate and I’ve also just found that Jeremy is that mate. From what I can tell from the legend, a hybrid must stay in close proximity with his or her mate for at least a few days then the need to always be together passes,” he replied.

Damon looked at Jeremy and felt a sick pleasure pass through him when he realised just how much of a hard time Elena and the others were going to give him when he explained to them the connection between him and Klaus. He was only taking this so well because he didn’t really care all that much about the kid and he knew it would be the most entertaining moment of his life when Elena found out. “So, kid, how are you going to explain this to your sister? I’m supposed to bring you to the boarding house to her and somehow I don’t think she’ll respond all that well to seeing Klaus with you,” he said.

Klaus could tell that there was something that Damon wasn’t saying so he stopped Jeremy from saying what he was about to before he agreed to something that he didn’t have or want to agree to. “There’s something you’re not telling us, Damon. I don’t want Jeremy to have his sister angry at him just because you lied and made him have to confront her with this before he had to,” he said, threatening the annoying younger vampire with his eyes.

Damon scowled; irritated that Klaus could so easily pick up his lies or half-truths. He glanced from Klaus to Jeremy then finally threw up his hands. “Alright! Elena said that at the very least I could just get you to call her to tell her that you’re alright and not in need of a body bag or a rescue,” he said, a snarl mixed into his words. He was furious that he couldn’t play with Elena’s brother but he understood that there was a point where he should just forget his own amusement and consider everyone else’s feelings.

Jeremy sighed with relief and took a relaxing breath. He felt Klaus slid a hand under his shirt and rest it on his stomach, tracing comforting circles on his skin. He felt slightly uncomfortable with how bold Klaus was being but he understood that he was used to getting anything that he hadn’t and moving at his pace and not having to consider the other’s pace. He leaned back against Klaus, trying to tell him in a subtle way that he was not comfortable with what he doing. 

Klaus tensed slightly when Jeremy leaned away from his hand but then he understood. Just being with another man was new to the boy and he was already jumping to the physical part of the relationship. He put his lips to Jeremy’s ear. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking. I… I slip into old habits and find it hard not to slip back into my habits,” he whispered. He slipped his hand out from under Jeremy’s shirt and was about to put it on the arm of the chair when Jeremy suddenly grabbed his wrist, stopping him. 

Jeremy twined his fingers with Klaus’s, now holding both of the man’s hands. He felt Damon’s eyes boring into him but he ignored it. He was content the way he was and didn’t want to let Damon ruin it for him. “I guess I should call Elena now so she doesn’t worry any more than she already is,” he said, reluctantly letting go of Klaus’s hands and trying to stand up but Klaus quickly grabbed a hold of him and stopped him. “Klaus, let me up.”

Klaus shook his head, taking his own cell phone out of his pocket and putting it in Jeremy’s hands. “Use my phone, Jeremy. Just tell your sister to come here,” he said. He watched as Jeremy shook his head and quickly yanked Jeremy close to him when he tried to stand again. He ran a soothing hand over Jeremy’s cheek when he struggled with him, the guilt of how he was acting starting to eat at him.

Damon frowned when he saw that Jeremy didn’t seem as comfortable with Klaus as he had only moments before. He walked over and leaned against the table to Klaus’s right, raising an eyebrow at the hybrid when he glanced at him. “I’m only tolerating this because you didn’t seem to be doing anything to the little Gilbert. Now, I’m not so sure I should keep quiet,” he said, smirking at Klaus.

Jeremy shook his head rapidly at Damon, knowing that the man was only aggravating Klaus. “Klaus please let go of me. I want to use my own phone to call Elena and I don’t want to tell her anything about us right now. I just found out about this a few hours ago, I don’t really understand it and I’m not ready to tell my sister anything,” he said. He pulled against Klaus’s hold again and was relieved when he was released. 

Klaus reached out and gently took Jeremy’s wrist surprised when Jeremy didn’t try to resist. He looked up at Jeremy’s face and saw fear in his eyes. He knew Jeremy was trying it and that made the pain he felt even worse. “I’m sorry Jeremy. I won’t even pretend that I can explain what I did,” he said, wanting Jeremy to forgive and feeling uncomfortable at the all of the apologising that he had done in the past three hours. It was more than he had apologised in the last 750 years of his life. 

Jeremy drew in a deep breath and nodded to Klaus. “I forgive you. Just promise me that you’ll try not to act like that again. When I see you act like that, I just freeze and it’s not a very good feeling,” he said, knowing that he sounded like he was begging but he couldn’t help for anything that he was worth. He leaned down and kissed Klaus briefly on the lips. 

Damon rolled his eyes and scoffed, not in the least bit amused in how Klaus and Jeremy went from hating each other to suddenly smiling with halos over their heads. “I take it you two have everything sorted out with each other and I don’t have to play mediator? Cause I really hate being the mediator,” he said. He pushed away the table and went back over to the doorway of the kitchen. 

Jeremy slowly backed away from Klaus then went into the living room and to the table, grabbing his phone from the table. He opened his contacts and scrolled down to his sister’s number, then pressed call button. He waited for his sister to pick up, jumping when he felt arms wrap around his waist. He turned his head slightly and when he saw Klaus, he relaxed. He didn’t resist when Klaus pulled him to sit down on the couch beside him. 

“Hello? Jeremy?” Elena’s voice finally came through his phone. Jeremy stared at in trepidation for a moment then took comfort from Klaus’s hand entwined with his. “Hey Elena, Damon said I should call you before I went to sleep,” he said, feeling slightly guilty about lying to his sister but when he thought about what he was hiding, he didn’t feel so guilty anymore. 

There was a sigh from Elena and Jeremy could the relief in it. “Goodnight then, Jer. Please just be careful not to invite anyone into the house unless you’re sure that they’re human or won’t try to hurt you,” she said. Jeremy agreed with her then he hung up, tossing his phone back onto the table. He jumped when Damon spoke, having been lost in thought.

“You’re a good liar, kid. But only if you’re not doing it in person. You’re face and eyes give you away when you’re lying. I didn’t think you had it in you at all to lie like you just did,” Damon said, throwing himself gracefully into the armchair across from the couch Jeremy and Klaus sat on.

Klaus rolled his eyes. Damon was starting to get on his nerves but he stopped himself from doing anything for Jeremy’s sake. “Perhaps now we can figure out a way to get my family back from Stefan,” he said, pulling on Jeremy’s hand until he managed to get him to lean against him. 

“Ah,” Damon said, trying both Jeremy and Klaus’s attention. “That might be hard, not matter whether you’re no longer going to anything to Elena and the others because your bond with little Gilbert here or not. Stefan seems adamant on showing you how it feels to have everything taken away from you.” He winced at the look on Klaus’s face, immediately knowing that what would happen next would not be fun for anyone except for Klaus himself.


	5. Strengthening the Bond

“Klaus, what are you planning on doing?” Jeremy asked as he led the hybrid up the stairs and to his room. He had already told him that he wouldn’t be sleeping in his room with him but Klaus hadn’t argued, surprisingly. He had ignored the look the hybrid had had on his face ever since Damon had said how hard it would be for his mate to get his family back but now he couldn’t ignore it anymore.

Klaus blinked, surprised Jeremy was asking about that now but he figured that there was no way for the teenager to ignore it forever. He understood his need to ask, knowing the expression he had had was a reason to worry. He pulled his mate closer to him with his arm around the boy’s shoulders and stopped walking. He looked down into the brown eyes and smiled softly. “I promise you I won’t hurt either your sister or Stefan, no matter how much I want to. I even won’t hurt Damon as much as he gets on my nerves,” he said.

Smiling hesitantly up at the hybrid, Jeremy tilted his head up and leaned stretched upward slightly to kiss Klaus, a gently contact of the lips. He gasped slightly in surprise when Klaus wrapped his hand around the back of his neck and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. He wasn’t sure what to do when he felt Klaus take advantage of his gasp by slipping his tongue into his mouth but all thoughts fled his mind when the man’s tongue massaged his in a battle for dominance that he reluctantly admitted defeat in after a few moments. 

Gasping for breath, Jeremy separated from the hybrid and leaned into him, his hands wrapped in the man’s shirt. “I really need to go to sleep, Klaus. I feel like if I stay up for much longer, I’ll pass out,” he said. He blinked, startled, when Klaus nodded then quickly swept him up into his arms. He flailed his arms slightly for a few seconds before finally settling with wrapping them around the man’s neck. He relaxed in his arms, letting the hybrid carry him to his room and set him down on the bed. 

Klaus gently put his hand on Jeremy’s shoulder and pushed him down when he moved to get up off the bed. He lay down beside him, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him so that he was spooned up against him: back against his chest. “Relax. You said you were tired. There’s no need to change or anything right now. Just close your eyes and rest. I’ll be here when you wake up,” he whispered in Jeremy’s ear. 

Sighing, Jeremy agreed with Klaus and closed his eyes to try to get to sleep. He found himself drifting off without even really trying. He had an idea that Klaus being there and the mate bond were most likely contributing to how easy it was but he didn’t mind. He didn’t want to think about anything right now. He wasn’t sure how he felt about the fact that Klaus would be there when he woke up in the morning but he did know that it helped him to go to sleep without fighting much.

Klaus remained where he was until he felt Jeremy relax and heard his breathing deepen. He then slowly and carefully pulled away from the boy and got up from the bed. He froze when his mate appeared to be waking up but relaxed again when he merely rolled over to lay his head on the pillow that Klaus had been laying on. 

He felt guilty for leaving while Jeremy was asleep but he knew that his mate would never approve of what he was going to do. He used his vampire speed to go downstairs, grab Jeremy’s phone from the table and then leave the house. He paused at the corner, unlocking the phone and scrolling through the contacts. He looked for Stefan’s name but hesitated with his finger hovering over the screen.

After a moment of thought, he sighed and pressed the cancel button, closing everything and sending the phone back to the home screen. He normally would have just gone ahead but he didn’t have a good idea of what he would have done and the thought of his mate hating him made his decision. He slipped the phone into his pocket and walked back to the house. 

After he entered the house, closing the door behind him, he glanced into the kitchen on his way back to Jeremy’s room. Damon was still seated where he and Jeremy had left him and he was toying with his cell phone. “Something wrong?” he asked, not out of curiosity but just wanting to see what had the usually alert vampire so distracted.

Damon jumped slightly, not enough for a human to notice but he knew that the Original vampire standing in the doorway noticed. He sighed, deciding that it wouldn’t hurt him to just talk to the hybrid. “I debating whether this thing between you and the little Gilbert is just something I should pretend I never found out about or if I should actually support you when you two tell Elena,” he said.

Klaus raised his eyebrow but didn’t comment. He walked over and snatched the phone from Damon’s hands. “That’s up to you but remember that it’s up to me and Jeremy when you tell Elena about this and whether we do at all,” he said. He placed the phone gently back on the table before he turned and walked to the staircase that led up to the second floor. He walked down the hall but paused to study what was clearly a photo of Jeremy and Elena with their parents. At least, he guessed they were their parents.

Shaking his head, moved on down the hall until he reached Jeremy’s room. He quietly opened the door and closed it behind him. He kicked off his shoes before lying down on the bed beside his mate. The teenager moved a little in his sleep before rolling over and nuzzling his nose in the crook of the hybrid’s shoulder. He wrapped an arm around the boy, pulling him closer to his body.

“Where did you go?” Jeremy mumbled sleepily. He didn’t care if Klaus answered or not but he would appreciate the honesty from his mate. He felt himself become boneless when the hybrid rubbed the tense spot on his back between his shoulder blades. He opened his eyes with a little effort to look up at him sleepily. “Klaus?”

Klaus smiled before leaning down to kiss the human on the lips. “I was thinking of calling and threatening Stefan but I decided against it. I didn’t… I didn’t want to hurt you,” he said, feeling slightly uncomfortable. He wasn’t used to saying things like that to anyone, not even his own siblings. He blinked when Jeremy messaged his shoulders, releasing tension he didn’t even know he had. 

“What exactly did Stefan take? Elena only told me that he took something that was dear to you,” Jeremy questioned, curious. He wasn’t really certain how Klaus would take him asking such a personal question so soon in their relationship. He sat up at Klaus’s urging and easily leaned against his chest after the hybrid sat up and pulled on his shoulders gently. 

Klaus took a deep breath. He wasn’t even the least bit reluctant to answer Jeremy’s question, which was a shock, but then again, the book had said that mates were very close almost as soon as they met and realised what they were to each other. “I… Before I tell you anything, I want you to promise that you won’t judge me. I know that’s not you from what your sister said that I overheard but-” he said but Jeremy interrupted him gently by putting a finger on his lips. 

Jeremy was slightly surprised by how awkward Klaus was acting but personal issues usually did make people awkward or not act like themselves in his experience. “I won’t judge you. I never did, no matter what my sister told me. I prefer to see for myself how people act with others before I judge them,” he promised, knowing that Klaus needed to hear exactly what he said but meaning every word he said. He would never do what a lot of people would, where they only said what they thought others wanted to hear instead of being honest.

With an internal sigh of relief and happiness, Klaus met Jeremy’s eyes with his own and began his explanation. “About nine hundred years ago, my brother Finn, was acting more monstrous than I have. He was worse than Damon when he first came here and I put together. I had no real choice but to dagger him,” he said.

“Dagger him? Was the dagger special?” Jeremy asked, slightly confused as to what Klaus was leading to. He didn’t think that daggers affected vampires, let alone Originals. He twisted around so that he was facing Klaus. He had had his head tilted back to meet the hybrid’s eyes but his neck had started to hurt.

Klaus blinked. “Your sister didn’t tell you about those?” he asked. When Jeremy shook his head in response, he rolled his eyes and thought to himself about the stupidity of some humans. “Anyway, the daggers when dipped in the ash of a white oak tree, which my siblings and I made sure were gone can neutralize and not kill an Original vampire. It has to be in the heart and it has to be left in. As soon as the dagger is taken out, the vampire wakes up. They’ll need blood of course but that’s to be expected.”

Klaus continued when Jeremy nodded in understanding, “I had to dagger Finn because he was out of control. He was killing anyone and draining them dry and back then people were somewhat conscious of us, at least more than in this modern time where vampires are only in books and movies. He won’t see it like that when he wakes up but Finn has never liked me. I then daggered my brother Kol around 1900, about a hundred years ago because I was afraid that Mikael would find him and kill him. I don’t know what happened to Rebekah, I suspect your sister and Damon did something to her. Elijah, well, I know you know that I daggered him. Elena must have told you that much.”

Jeremy nodded in understanding. He wouldn’t pretend to understand why Klaus did what he did but he would also not judge him. From he could tell, it was just Klaus way of making sure his family would not be taken from him by a man who wasn’t his real father. He wasn’t sure if he would do something like that but you could never be sure until the situation called for you to make a choice like that.

Jeremy lay back down and pulled Klaus with him. “We can figure out a way to get your family back in the morning. I think we both need to sleep because when was the last time you slept?” he asked, having noticed the slight dull look to the hybrid’s eyes that he had come to recognise from Damon and Stefan to mean that they hadn’t had any rest. He caught the guilty look that flashed across Klaus’s face and rolled his eyes in exasperation. 

He grabbed Klaus’s shoulders and rolled them so Klaus was on top of him but supporting himself on his hands which were on the bed on either side of his head. “Let’s just make each other tired. I’m not ready to go all the way, but I am willing to something,” he said when he caught the confused look on Klaus’s face.

Klaus nodded in understanding and lowered his head to kiss Jeremy roughly. The teenager’s lips were soft and pliable but it was clear to the hybrid that Jeremy could take control if he wanted. He slowly placed his tongue in the boy’s mouth, trying to see how the boy would react. Jeremy didn’t even hesitate, opening his mouth to the hybrid’s tongue. He kept kissing the boy as he slowly trailed a hand down the boy’s chest, pausing at the waistband of his jeans. 

Jeremy shivered at the feel of Klaus’s hand trailing down his body. He broke the kiss, panting for air. “My shirt,” he whispered. Klaus nodded to him, grabbed the hem of his shirt and jerked it over the boy’s head, tossing it to the floor. He pinched one the boy’s nipples, making him gasp softly in pleasure. Suddenly, Jeremy pushed at Klaus’s shoulders. “Wait, what about Damon?”

“It’s alright. I’ll make sure he doesn’t say anything to tease you when we get up, I promise,” Klaus whispered. Jeremy nodded and dropped his arms back down to the bed and used his hands to grasp at the sheets. He battled for dominance with Klaus’s tongue in the next kiss but admitted defeat pretty quickly. He just didn’t feel like being the dominant one and he had to admit, Klaus knew how to defeat him without any real effort. He brought his one hand down again and played with the button of the teenager’s jeans, waiting for his permission. 

When it was given, he popped the button open and pulled the jeans down past the hips then off Jeremy’s legs completely. He tossed them to the floor in the same direction as he had thrown Jeremy’s shirt. He broke the kiss, letting Jeremy get air if he needed it. In the meantime, he took off his own shirt and his pants. He didn’t want his mate feeling pressured or unequal in the relationship, which had happened a few times in the past with some of his relationships. 

He pulled his mate’s boxers down to about his knees, not taking them off just so that Jeremy didn’t think he was going to try anything more than what he had in mind at the moment. He backed down Jeremy’s body so that his face was level with the teenager’s straining erection. “Tell me if you want me to stop. I’m pretty confident that you’ll want more and not less,” he said, smirking. He was pleased when the boy let out a soft laugh that didn’t have even a hint of nervousness or fear.

Slowly, he put his lips around the erection, feeling Jeremy shiver with the pleasure beneath him. He took it slow considering this was something new for his mate but fairly quickly he was deep throating the boy. He paused but didn’t hear any protests from Jeremy. He bobbed his head slowly then picked up his pace, using his hand to cover what his mouth couldn’t. It didn’t take long for Jeremy to cum since the teenager was more or less a virgin in his mind and he had never been with a man before. Also, Klaus knew that most women were never willing to do oral sex. 

He contemplated for a moment then decided he didn’t care and allowed his mate to come down his throat. He swallowed it all with ease, having done this enough to know how but not enough to make him seem like a submissive. He took his mouth from Jeremy’s member then rose up and kissed him, letting his mate taste himself. 

Jeremy smiled softly at Klaus when they broke apart. He glanced down and noticed that the hybrid was still hard himself. He hesitated but knew that he wanted to pleasure the hybrid like he had to him but he didn’t want to go all the way. He pushed gently at Klaus’s shoulders and the hybrid went, rolling so he was lying on his back and Jeremy was above him. Klaus’s expression flickered and reached to pull Jeremy back up when the teenager started to pull down his boxers.

Jeremy met the hybrid’s eyes from where he was and smiled. “It’s alright, Klaus. I want to. I don’t want you to pleasure me but not get any for yourself,” he said. Klaus nodded, letting Jeremy continue. Blushing momentarily when he remembered, Jeremy reached down and pulled his own boxers back up then pulled Klaus’s down to his knees. He hesitated, and then licked from the base to the tip of Klaus’s rock hard erection. He circled his tongue around it, and then slowly took it into his mouth. He sucked gently, and watching Klaus’s face contort with pleasure, he hummed softly with the hybrid’s member in his mouth, hoping he was doing this right. 

After a minute, he started to bob his head and it took a little longer than it had for Jeremy but Klaus eventually came and Jeremy swallowed everything the hybrid could give him, only choking once. He learned quickly and he could see the bliss he had felt earlier on Klaus’s face. It surprised him how open the man was being with him. It also surprised Jeremy how quiet the both of them had been. They must have both known subconsciously that it would be better, what with Damon most likely still downstairs and listening to them. 

Klaus reached up and pulled Jeremy down beside him and up against his side. Jeremy went willingly, cuddling against the hybrid’s warm side. He frowned as soon as he felt the warmth. “Klaus? Why are you warm but both Stefan and Damon feel slightly cold when they touch me?” he asked, cuddling closer.

Klaus smiled down at Jeremy and ran his fingers through the boy’s hair. “It’s because I’m a hybrid, Jeremy. My wolf keeps me warm, a little hotter than a human but not enough to raise alarms with doctors. A vampire, on the other hand, has died and are still technically dead so they feel like the dead; cold,” he answered.

Jeremy wasn’t surprised when he yawned after the explanation. Klaus laughed softly and kissed him on the head. “Go to sleep. I’m tired too so I’ll stay and sleep with you,” he said. He pulled his mate closer still to him, his wolf growling in contentment inside him. They both let their eyes slip closed, neither noticing that inside them they felt a deeper connection to each other, a result of the mate bond taking a firmer hold. It wasn’t yet completed for they hadn’t consummated it but it was almost impossible to break now.


	6. Complication

The next morning, Jeremy awoke to find Klaus still lying beside him with his arms wrapped around him in a manner that spoke of unwillingness to let him go. He had started to close his eyes and lay his head back down on his pillow when he suddenly heard what sounded like his ringtone.

Frowning, Jeremy looked around his room then remembered that Klaus had his phone. Trying not to wake the hybrid up, he slipped out of his arms and off the bed. He walked over to where Klaus's pants were lying on the floor. He picked them up and searched the pockets until he found his phone. He quickly glanced at the screen to see that he had a text message from Damon. Glancing behind him at Klaus, who was surprisingly still asleep, he unlocked his phone and opened the message.

You might want to tell that hybrid of yours that he needs to leave and leave fast. Elena is coming home and she wants to talk to you. Just thought I should warn you unless, of course, you want her to find you with him right now. –Damon

Jeremy rolled his eyes at the hidden indifference in the message. Clearly, Damon was only warning him out of fear of what Klaus might do if he said nothing and let Elena find them. Walking over to his bed, he put his phone on the nightstand then crawled back onto the bed. He nudged Klaus's shoulder, whispering his name. It took a few tries but finally the hybrid opened his eyes and gave him a sleepy hum that Jeremy found kind of funny.

"Damon just texted me and told me that Elena is coming home. You might want to wake up fast and-" was all that Jeremy got out before Klaus molded their lips together, kissing him roughly and cutting him off. He thought briefly about pushing the hybrid off but Klaus quickly made him forget about that thought when he rolled on top of him and he could feel his erection pressing against his leg through the hybrid's boxers.

Klaus broke the kiss after a moment, staring down at Jeremy. It took him a sleep hazed moment for him to remember that Jeremy had been talking before he had kissed him. "What were you saying?" he asked, rolling back off of the teenager and giving him his full attention.

"I was saying that Damon texted me to tell that Elena was coming home and that you need to leave because I don't think either of us is ready to tell her anything about what is between us," Jeremy said, trying to seem annoyed that he had to repeat himself but knowing that Klaus could see the happiness and the fond light in his eyes.

That woke Klaus up the rest of the way and he shot up in bed. Muttering to himself under his breath, he quickly got up and searched the room for his clothes, cursing himself for just having tossed them anywhere the night before. He pulled his shirt and pants on very quickly then turned back around and kissed Jeremy, who had been watching him from the bed.

"Come and see me whenever you think you can get away with it. Just ask Damon where my manor is if you don't already know," he said. He kissed Jeremy again roughly, taking his breath away. Then, hearing a car coming close to the house, he sped over to the window, opened it and jumped out. He didn't want to leave and his wolf growled in agreement inside of him but he didn't have much choice. He contented himself with knowing that Damon would keep his mate safe for fear of what he might do if he let any harm come to Jeremy.

{HC}

A week passed with Jeremy and Klaus unable to see each other. It seemed that subconsciously Elena knew that something was up for she never let Jeremy go anywhere that she couldn't go. It was quickly growing on his nerves and he could when he texted Klaus, the hybrid was quickly getting frustrated as well. He also knew though that Stefan was contributing on Klaus's part.

He hadn't heard Elena or Damon mention Stefan or what he was doing but then again, whenever he walked into a room they would always stop talking if it was about Klaus or involved the hybrid in any way.

Currently, he was sitting in the living room, playing video games on the television. He was trying to distract himself from the feeling of longing he felt inside of him. He could feel every night when he went to sleep too. It had confused him at first since he hadn't felt that first night when Klaus had left while he was sleeping but when he had asked Damon for his thoughts, the vampire had quickly reminded him of what he and his mate had done when Klaus had come back.

"Jeremy! Come in here and eat! You can't play video games all day like you did yesterday."

Jeremy sighed at his sister's shout from the kitchen but got up from the couch, turning off his video game nonetheless. He really wanted to tell her just so he could be with Klaus but he knew that that would only make things worse. She would think that the hybrid had compelled him and she would practically lock him in the house like Bonnie had done before when Klaus had needed her to unlock his werewolf side and turn into a hybrid,

Walking into the kitchen, he was greeted with the sight of Damon and Elena eating supper like a happy family. It made him blink in surprise. He supposed though, with the stress that Stefan was causing her lately, that she would bond with Damon a little more than she already had. He honestly didn't know which of the brothers he would prefer his sister to be with. He stopped thinking about it when they both looked up at him, stopping their whispered conversation. He quickly sat down at his seat on Damon's right while Elena sat across from them on the other side of the table.

"You've been oddly quiet lately, Jer. Is something wrong?" Elena asked, looking her brother over critically. She had asked Damon if he knew anything but he had said he had no idea and she believed him. He usually had little to interest in her brother's affairs.

Jeremy quickly swallowed what he was chewing and shook his head at his sister. Nothing's wrong, Elena. Well, except the fact that you seem to have attached yourself and Damon to me like glue," he replied, glancing over at the vampire beside him to see him looking slightly relieved at the fact that he had finally decided to confront Elena over her excessive worrying.

Elena suddenly understood her brother's behaviour. "I'm sorry, Jer. It's just… that night that I sent Damon here to check on you, I had completely forgotten about you and Klaus… Klaus could have easily taken you or something and I wouldn't have known until he called me. I just don't want to forget about you like that again," she said.

Jeremy sighed, having known that that was most likely the reason for her odd behaviour. "Elena, I appreciate you worrying about me but could please not do it to the point that I want to run far away from you for a while?" he asked. At her contrite and slightly embarrassed expression, he continued, knowing he was now treading on shaky ground. "Besides, I thought Klaus was too busy with Stefan to pay much attention to me or you?"

Elena blinked, staring at her brother in surprise. She hadn't known that her brother knew about that. "Right. Sorry. Well, I had something I wanted to do today anyway and I don't really want you coming with because I don't want you involved. So, you can do whatever you want today. Just please be careful," she said.

Jeremy nodded, relieved. He wanted to go see Klaus but he had no idea if what she was going to do had anything to with his mate. He took out his phone from his pocket when he felt it vibrating. He had turned it onto vibrate when Elena had begun to question who was texting him so much. He glanced at the screen to see it was Klaus again. He unlocked the phone and opened the message.

Do you think that you will be able to get away from dear Elena, love? We really need to talk about our bond since I've sure you feel the same longing that I do right now, the message read.

I don't have to. We just finished talking and she agreed to let me do whatever I wanted for the rest of today since there was something she had to do that didn't involve me, he wrote in his reply after he had hit the reply button on the screen.

He hit send and when he glanced up from his phone, he found Elena frowning at him. "What?" he asked, feeling slightly self-conscious and paranoid.

"I really wish you would just tell me who you're talking to so much," she said.

Damon rolled his eyes, standing up and putting a hand on Jeremy's shoulder. "Just leave the kid alone, Elena. Who knows? He might have a crush on someone or something?" he said.

Elena blinked but didn't have much time to think about it for Damon quickly walked out of the kitchen and she had to follow him or risk being left behind. "Well, anyway, just be careful if you go out Jer, and be home before 11!" she said, before Jeremy saw her and Damon disappear then the front door open and close.

He quickly grabbed his phone again and opened a new text message window. Pausing, he briefly considered if there was any risk of his sister catching him with Klaus but then decided that he just didn't care.

Hey, I'm coming over. Your manor right? In the woods? He typed quickly then hit the send button.

He got up from the kitchen table and walked over to the front door. He paused only long enough to grab his keys off the table near the door and his coat off the hook, and then he was out the door but not before making sure to lock it. He sighed, realizing that he would have to walk but then shrugged. It was worth it if he could see Klaus for the first time in a week.

He set off, not paying attention to the feeling of eyes on the back of his neck.

{HC}

Stefan paced around, glancing occasionally at the coffins he shared the old abandoned house with. Dust was kicked up in large clouds as he paced but he paid no attention.

He was confused since he thought Klaus would have called him to get his family back but then considered that there must be something more important going on for the hybrid. He took his phone out from his coat pocket, opened his recent call log and let his finger hover over Klaus's name. He was about to press call when he suddenly received a text message.

He raised an eyebrow when he saw that it was from Jeremy, Elena's brother, but then shrugged and opened it anyway.

Hey, I'm coming over. Your manor right? In the woods?

He frowned at what he read. The only people he knew with a manor in the woods were Tyler Lockwood and Klaus. He highly doubted Jeremy was going to see Tyler, since he remembered Elena telling her brother about Tyler being devoted to Klaus. But then, it also didn't make sense for the teenager to be going to see Klaus either. The hybrid had tried to kill his sister and destroy his family. He had killed his aunt too, he remembered in a sudden flashback.

Before he could think any further on the matter, his phone vibrated with another text from Jeremy. Clearly, the boy didn't realize he had picked the wrong number.

Nik, you do want me to come over right? Because I'm not walking all of the way out there just to have to go back home and maybe get annoying questions from Elena and taunts from Damon, it read.

Stefan raised an eyebrow. With the abbreviation of the name at the beginning of the message, he now knew that it was Klaus Jeremy was messaging. If he recalled correctly, Klaus's full name was Niklaus and Rebekah had called him Nik on several occasions.

Thinking quickly, he weighed the pros and cons of what he was about to do in his mind. Elena was going to be mad at him but then again, she would be mad at Jeremy for the teenager would have to explain what he was doing meeting with the hybrid. The best part was that if Klaus really cared about the boy like it sounded then he would probably be able to get what he wanted from the hybrid.

In the end, he decided that it would be easy to make it up to Elena. He could always blame it on the switch like his brother did. He felt bad for using Jeremy in something he probably wasn't even really aware of or didn't know everything about but that disappeared when he thought of what Klaus had done to him, how miserable he had made him not counting making him a ripper again.

He left the abandoned house after silently asking for the witches to make sure the coffins were hidden from anyone who might enter into the house. He used his vampire speed to flash over to where he thought Jeremy might be right now, trying to use the time when he received the first message as when Jeremy left the Gilbert and how fast he knew the boy walked. He found him, only a block ahead of where he thought.

He quickly got ahead of him, hiding between two houses. He watched as Jeremy paused right in front of where he was, looking at the screen of his phone. Clearly he was wondering why Klaus hadn't answered him.

Jeremy opened his sent box for his text messages to make sure he actually sent the messages and frowned when, instead of Klaus's name at the top of the list, he saw Stefan's name. Blinking, he realized that he must have hit Stefan's name instead of Klaus's since Stefan was right below Klaus in his contacts. He only had a moment to worry about what he should do when a hand suddenly covered his mouth from behind him. He struggled briefly but whoever it was, they were clearly much stronger than he was. He quickly went limp in the person's arms, trying to conserve what little strength he had left in him.

He knew who it was immediately and why he was there. It was Stefan and from the tone of the messages he had meant to send to Klaus, he clearly knew that he and the hybrid had something between them where Klaus would do anything for him. He started to move to try to pull away from Stefan, but the vampire pressed his free wrist against his throat and pressed until Jeremy couldn't breathe and he could feel his consciousness fading away. He allowed the darkness to take him but not before he heard the words that came out of Stefan's mouth that made him feel slightly sorry for him.

"I'm sorry Jeremy. I just really need Klaus to feel how he made me feel when he made me leave Elena and my brother. I just need him for once to be the one in pain. I'm sorry that it had to be you that would help me to make him feel like that. I'm also sorry for everything I'm about to do because you are the one who is the most innocent in all of this," Stefan said, catching Jeremy in his arms and then hoisting him over his shoulder. He quickly ran away with Jeremy, heading back to the witches' house.


	7. Nature's Aid

Klaus paced across the living room of his manor. He hadn’t heard from Jeremy in a while and he was beginning to worry. It had been clear to him from Jeremy’s texts that he was planning to come over but he had never messaged him again to say he was on his way. He also hadn’t messaged to say that he decided not to come either, which was what worried him. His mate had been careful the past week to keep him informed, understanding that they had solidified their bond that night they had been together before the hybrid had had to leave or risk being discovered. 

He paused in front of the glass top table, picking up his cell phone and glancing at the screen. He wasn’t surprised to see that he had no new messages but that wasn’t what he had picked up his phone for. He opened his contact list and scrolled through until he came to Damon Salvatore’s name. He was loath to rely on the young vampire but he knew he had no choice for no one knew of his relationship with the teenager. He pressed call and waited for him to pick up. 

“What? I’m about busy right now and I have present company that should never find out that I’m talking-,” Damon said immediately after answering his phone.

Klaus rolled his eyes, becoming impatient and slightly angry. “I don’t have time for your attitude, Salvatore. I just want to know if you’ve seen Jeremy. He texted me, saying you and Elena were leaving and he was thinking of coming over but I haven’t heard from him since,” he said.

There was pause from Damon before he began to speak and his concealed tone of worry surprised the hybrid. “No. He was still at the Gilbert house when I left with Elena. He was playing with his phone, which is what I’m guessing you’re talking about,” he said.

Klaus winced at the loud sound of Elena’s voice coming suddenly from Damon’s end of the line. He only now noticed how annoying her voice was that she kept him from his mate. “Stay with her. If you do anything to help me find him then do so. I’ll take care of it on my own for now,” he said. He quickly pressed the ignore button and put his phone in his pocket. He breathed in through his nose and closed his eyes, concentrating on Jeremy. He remembered a vague mention of a hybrid being able to locate their mate’s last location when they were conscious but he wasn’t sure of how the whole concept worked. 

A picture slowly formed in the black of his vision from his closed eyes. He recognized the houses as being on a street near his mansion. Clearly, whatever had happened to Jeremy had happened while he was on his way to see him. Before the picture faded away, he noticed Jeremy’s cell phone laying on the ground, half in and half out of the shadows that covered an alley between the two houses in the picture.

He grit his teeth, understanding that someone must have taken Jeremy for his phone to be somewhere he wasn’t. He flashed out of the house and to the address he had seen, slowing to a human’s pace when he saw Jeremy’s phone. He picked it up and immediately unlocked it then scrolled through the sent text messages. When he saw the last name listed, he snarled in anger, understanding who had his mate and what the reason most likely was. He felt angry enough to destroy the whole town but he restrained himself, knowing that it wouldn’t help him to get the teenager away from Stefan. 

Breathing in deeply, he tried to think where Stefan could possibly have taken his mate but he couldn’t think of anything. Then, suddenly, he remembered of a place Elijah had told him about before he had daggered him and stuffed him into the last coffin that he had. The abandoned witches’ house that the Salvatores and the others had his out in. He snarled again in anger, knowing that there was no way in hell that he would be able to get into that house. He hoped that they would give him time to explain about Jeremy being his mate for he knew that they wouldn’t stand someone playing with another’s mate, not even his. 

He was about to go on his way to search the general area Elijah had told him when he heard his phone ringing in his pocket. He clenched his hand briefly before relaxing it and taking his phone out. He glanced at the screen, looking to see who was suicidal enough to call him right now. He was tempted to throw the piece of plastic at the house to his right when he saw Stefan’s name flashing on the screen but he restrained himself. He would kill the vampire later, right now he had to find out if his mate was alright.

{HC}

Jeremy moaned slightly and blinked his eyes open then closed then when the light he was greeted with made them water. He waited for a minute before slowly opening them again. He blinked a couple times to make sure that he could stand the light before keeping them open. He looked around before moving, trying to get a feel for where he was.

After staring around at the rotted floor and ceiling, along with the horrible walls, he realized he was in the witches’ house that he, John and Bonnie had stayed in while the Salvatores and Elena had dealt with Klaus. Slowly and cautiously, he sat up, being careful so he didn’t fall through the floor or something. He looked around for Stefan but couldn’t find him. 

When he went to stand however, Stefan suddenly appeared in front of him, making him quickly fall back to where he had been sitting on the floor. He looked around again, trying to ignore the vampire. He soon realized that he was clearly in the basement or whatever it could be called. He glanced behind him and blinked when he saw coffins taking up the other side of the room. He whipped his head back around when he felt a hand grip his wrist tightly and yank him to his feet. 

Stefan was slightly glad and yet felt some self-hate that his switch was off and he didn’t feel much of anything about what he was doing. He yanked Jeremy after him as he walked to the stairs set up just in front of the coffins and shoved the teenager down into the nearest one. “Stay here, Jeremy. I don’t want to hurt you but I will if you move or touch the coffins,” he said. “Understand?” He was satisfied when the boy nodded to him and he quickly left the room, trusting him to stick to his word. 

Jeremy looked after Stefan then as soon as he thought he was safe, he searched his pockets for his phone before getting a vague flashback to having dropped his phone when Stefan knocked him unconscious. At least, he thought that was what happened. Trying to be quiet, he slowly got up from the chair and opened the coffin on the right of him. He blinked, not recognizing the vampire laying there but from the descriptions, he took it to be Kol. He tiptoed over to the one on his left and opened it. He let out a light breath of relief when he recognized Elijah. He knew if the Original had been in one of the other coffins, he most likely would have been caught by Stefan. 

He reached for the dagger and slowly pulled it out. Feeling a chill of warning go down his spine, he dropped the dagger beside Elijah in the coffin, closed the lid and quickly sat back down, trying to look as if he hadn’t moved. He didn’t see Stefan coming but he must be or else he would have felt the chill. 

He tried to think of a way to communicate with Emily and the other witches but he couldn’t think of anything that wouldn’t make Stefan aware of what he was doing and stop him. He groaned softly, letting his head fall back to hit the back of the chair. He brought his head back up when he felt Stefan nudging his shoulder. He glared at the Salvatore brother that he had used to like but he was surprised to find that he now preferred Damon. Maybe it was because Damon would never exploit him, no matter how much he wanted to hurt Klaus. He wasn’t sure but he did know that he wasn’t going to like what Stefan was going to do next.

Stefan held out his phone, having realized when he had arrived back at the witches’ house with Jeremy that he didn’t have the boy’s cell phone and that it must be back where he had taken him. “Call Klaus. Tell him you’re fine then I’ll take it from there,” he said. 

Jeremy reluctantly took the cell phone, not bothering to argue for he knew that Stefan could just force him to do what he wanted. He dialed Klaus’s number from memory and pressed the phone to his ear after pressing call on the screen. He waited, growing nervous under Stefan’s gaze every second he waited for Klaus to answer. 

“Hello?”

It was Klaus, like he knew it would be, but Jeremy still sighed in relief at the sound of his mate’s voice. “Klaus?” he asked, grimacing inwardly when he heard the waver in his own voice. 

“Jeremy? Are you alright?”

Jeremy laughed softly, not able to help himself from being slightly hysterical since he though the situation allowed for it maybe even deserved it. “Yeah, I’m fine. Well, aside from being taken by my sister’s ex-boyfriend, I am,” he replied to the hybrid’s worry laced question. 

Before he could hear what Klaus said to that, if anything, Stefan took the phone away from him and walked away as he began talking. From where he was sitting, Jeremy could tell that Stefan wasn’t going easy on Klaus and he itched to try to help his mate and get back to him but he was only human after all and there nothing he could do against a vampire. The only hope that he had was that Elijah woke up soon and would be able to tell that he was Klaus’s mate or even care enough in the first place to help him. 

He had no idea how long it would take for Elijah to wake up after having had the dagger taken out. He knew that it would most likely take a while but he hoped no longer than at least an hour. He tried to remember if Elena had mentioned how long it had taken when she had taken the dagger out but he didn’t think she had actually timed it or bothered to look. She had just waited which was what he was now forced to do.

He jumped when the cell phone was shoved in front of his line of sight by Stefan who had a mocking look on his face that he recognized as one Damon often wore. He grabbed the phone after a pointed look from the vampire in front of him and put it to his ear. “Klaus?

“Yes, love. Don’t worry everything will be fine.”

Jeremy bit his lip, trying to figure out how he could tell his mate about Elijah and see if his brother would help him without alerting Stefan. “Do you remember about that person you told me about? That sophisticated one who reminded you of your brother? Whatever happened to him?”” he asked, hoping Klaus understood what he was getting at. He was in luck for there was a soft laugh from Klaus, almost in relief. 

“He ended up being very useful, just as useful as my brother. However, he eventually died just like any human usually does.”

Jeremy smiled slightly to himself. Then, glancing at Stefan to see him frowning, he quickly went back to the script. “Please get me out of this situation soon, Nik. Stefan just isn’t good company,” he said. He heard Klaus laugh and say goodbye before Stefan yanked the phone away and pressed cancel, hanging up on Klaus, which the teenager knew would annoy his mate to no end. 

“Emily? Would you and the others mind hiding the coffins again? Oh, and make sure Jeremy doesn’t go anyway. We wouldn’t want him going back to Klaus to get manipulated,” Stefan called to the air as he turned on his head and began to walk out of the room.

As soon as Stefan exited the room, Jeremy watched the coffins behind him shimmer and then disappear from sight. He knew they were still there, he just couldn’t see them anymore. He tried to stand up but something stopped him before he could even move a muscle. He took a deep breath then decided that it didn’t matter. He would stay down here but he wanted to be able to at least move around. 

“Emily?” he called softly, feeling awkward.

There was a slight acknowledgement in the air, which he guessed was from Emily. He took a deep breath again, needing the fortification. “Klaus isn’t forcing me to do anything. He’s my mate. The only one who has been lying and hurting people this past week or so is Stefan,” he said. He hoped Emily and the other witches would believe him. After all, Stefan was still a vampire, normally nice or not. 

He could the witches’ indecision in the air and he racked his brain to think of something he could use to convince them he hadn’t been compelled to say that. Suddenly, his head erupted in pain for a brief 20 seconds then it went away.

There is no need to convince me, Jeremy. What I managed to see briefly in your memories, your feelings of love and devotion to Klaus and his to you, is all I need as proof. And the very fact you are still human and Elena is still free help. Also, not even Klaus would lie about something like having a mate, especially to a witch.

Jeremy blinked at the kind female in his head that reminded him of Bonnie but then again Emily was Bonnie’s ancestor. He sighed in relief for he had not been able to think of anything on his own to help to prove the truth of his statement. He settled back in the chair then jumped when Emily spoke to him again.

Jeremy, you will have to let Elijah bite you. He needs blood since he has been neutralized for so long.

Jeremy frowned, thinking of Klaus’s reaction but then decided that it was his blood and he would decide and that was that. He jumped again when he heard a noise from the coffin Elijah was in but then exhaled heavily, trying to settle himself and not be some scared rabbit. His history of being bitten by vampires wasn’t very good. First, Vicky had tried to bite him since she wasn’t able to control her hunger. Then, there was Anna but she had been alright. Last but not least, was Katherine who had actually torn his throat out, killing him if he remembered correctly. Rolling his eyes, he told himself to suck it up and stood up from the chair, opening both parts of the coffin lid to make things easier for Elijah. 

He jumped back from the coffin when Elijah’s body suddenly jerked, as if his legs were broken. He watched in fascinated horror as the Original jerked again, this time centered on his back. He spun around when he heard a slam higher up in the house. He cursed and quickly slammed both parts of the coffin lid closed. He scrambled to sit back down in the chair even though he had a strong feeling that it didn’t matter anymore whether Stefan knew or not. 

He waited tensely but no one came close to the door of the basement. He listened attentively, knowing that his hearing was horrible compared to that of the other beings in the house. He got up again but before he could go back to the coffin to check on Elijah, the lid opened on its own and Elijah sat up. He watched as the vampire looked around, disoriented, before he had to step back because Elijah was suddenly directly in front of him. He yelped slightly in pain and surprise when Elijah reached around and grabbed a fistful of his hair, jerking his head back to expose his neck. 

It was only as Elijah struck like a viper, biting his neck and sucking his blood that he noticed that the Original had his vampire face on, clearly hungry to point of not being able to think. He forced himself not to move, knowing that if he did then it would most likely be more painful than it already was. He held still as Elijah continued to drink but when he began to get lightheaded, he knew that he had to stop the vampire before he lost conscious or he would probably be dead. 

“Elijah, stop. Please.”

Elijah seemed to snap out of it at the mere sound of Jeremy’s voice and gently pulled away from the teenager’s neck. He wiped the small spot of blood from the corner of his mouth and then turned his full attention to the teenager in front of him. He caught him as he started to fall and gently set him in one of the chairs near the coffins. He opened the top half of the lid of the coffin to Jeremy’s right, gazing down at Kol. 

After a minute, turned away knowing that if he continued to stared down at him then he would be able to close the coffin unless he took the dagger out of his little brother. He looked Elena’s brother over, wondering what was going on when he suddenly caught Niklaus’s scent coming from him. Frowning to himself, he tilted his head slightly to one side and tried to remember if he knew what that meant. After a few moments, he remembered the tale about a hybrid having a mate from one of the books he had loaned to Elena and the Salvatores when he had been helping them to kill Niklaus. 

He found it ironic that his brother’s mate was the brother of the Petrova Doppelganger but on the other hand, it made sense. He did remember him talking about feeling a pull towards them but not really feeling anything for the girls’ themselves. Shaking his head, he told himself to think about it later and focus on Jeremy right now. He could tell he had taken too much but not enough to knock him unconscious or kill him. He walked over and crouched down beside the wooden chair, looking up at the teenager’s face and trying to judge how he was doing. He didn’t want Klaus to kill him just because he had been hungry for blood after having gone so long without. 

Suddenly, a thought occurred to him and he snapped his attention to Jeremy, gripping the teenager’s chin and turning his head to look at him. He wondered what was going for Klaus was definitely not anywhere around where they were. If he was, then Jeremy would not have been there when he had woken up. Klaus would have locked Jeremy away in his bedroom before letting him near a previously neutralized Original vampire. He grimaced, thinking of how much worse it would have been if Jeremy had chosen Kol.

For one, his little brother was more likely to just kill Jeremy and whoever else was in this house before looking for Klaus and trying to kill him too. Second, if Kol didn’t kill Jeremy and stopped like he had when the human had told him to; Kol wasn’t the type to care enough to help a human. 

Sighing, he realized that finally being able to even see the rest of his family was distracting him. He pushed thoughts of them to the furthest possible reaches in his mind and focused on Jeremy who was string at with a still slightly unfocused look mixed in a nervous look as well. He decided to ask what he had intended to minutes ago and save the boy worrying.

“Where’s Niklaus? And what is going?”

Jeremy swallowed, trying to relax. He knew that Elijah had most likely figured out what relationship he had with Klaus, even that he had one in the beginning. 

“I’m his mate like I know you’ve figured out. Anyway, Stefan took you and the others to try to get back at N-… Klaus. I was texting Klaus a few hours ago, I think, but I accidentally sent the last two or three messages to Stefan without noticing since I was too busy worrying about Elena catching me with Klaus. I guess Stefan decided to take me too. That I was probably the way to hurt Klaus the most,” Jeremy said.

Elijah nodded and stood up, searching his suit jacket pockets for his phone. He didn’t think Klaus would have taken that and he was right when he found it in the inside pocket of his jacket. He took it out and scrolled through, easily finding Klaus’s name. He selected ‘send message’ instead of call, finding it safer since Jeremy said that Stefan was nearby. He paused at the text message window, unsure what to write then passed the phone to Jeremy.

“Write something to Niklaus so that he knows that it is you and that Stefan isn’t playing a joke on him,” he explained when Jeremy looked from him to the phone in confusion.

Jeremy nodded at the explanation and took the phone. He didn’t have to think at all about what to write, somehow knowing right away that just the way he phrased his texts would tell Klaus that it was him.

Nik, it’s me. Elijah is awake now. If you’re already on your way or here, please don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. The witches will even help you now. I told them about me being your mate and they don’t much like Stefan now for lying to them about that. Love you and be safe.

Jeremy winced at the last phrase that just slipped out as he typed but he couldn’t erase as his hands seemed to have a life of their own as they hit the send button on the touch screen and handed the phone back to Elijah. He looked up at his mate’s brother and then glanced briefly back at the other coffins.

“What should we do now?” he asked.

Elijah put his phone away and mulled Jeremy’s question over. He thought about trying to take Jeremy and leave the house, knowing the spirits of the witches would take care of distracting Stefan but then decided that staying was now their only option since Klaus knew Jeremy was here and he didn’t want to deal with his angry hybrid brother at the moment.

“Now? Now, we stay here and patiently wait for Niklaus to get here and save his mate, you,” he said. Then he added under his breath, “Let’s just hope that he doesn’t take his time torturing Stefan. I doubt you’re ready for that side of him right now.”


	8. Saviour and Obstacles

Klaus paused in his pacing when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He quickly reached in and drew it out. He stared at the lit up screen in puzzlement. It told him that he had a new text message from Elijah. But that was impossible since he distinctly remembered having daggered Elijah and stuffed him in a coffin, which Stefan now had in his possession. 

Suddenly it dawned on Klaus what must have happened. Stefan must have left Jeremy alone long enough for him to be able to search through the coffins, find Elijah, and decide that he would be most likely to help him. Deciding that that must be right, he unlocked his phone and opened the text message. Sure enough, the whole thing was clearly from Jeremy and not his stiff and sophisticated brother. 

Nik, it’s me. Elijah is awake now. If you’re already on your way or here, please don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. The witches will even help you now. I told them about me being your mate and they don’t much like Stefan now for lying to them about that. Love you and be safe.

He frowned when he read the part about the witches. He didn’t really believe that they would ever help him but he supposed that it would make sense. No witch in their right mind would play around with something like mates. That would be considered a crime against nature and witches served nature with their heart, body, mind, and soul. 

He wanted to rush right over there and rescue his mate, killing the one who dared to take Jeremy from him in the process but he restrained himself. He knew when dealing with Stefan, at least how he was right now, that he needed to actually plan what he was going to do. He didn’t want to get Jeremy injured in the process. 

Sighing, Klaus ran his hand through his hair in frustration. He wasn’t used to having to make plans where there was only one person who was allowed to get hurt. He was more used to making plans where he just didn’t care who was injured in the end. It was both difficult and wonderful to have a mate. 

Dropping his phone into his pocket, he decided to just try to plan as he went. He knew Elijah would protect Jeremy for him while he was busy. He glanced up toward the sky, judging how long he had left in the day. Determining he had at least three hours, he drew in a deep breath and prepared himself for the fight he knew would come. He used his hybrid speed to get to the witches’ mansion quickly.

{HC}

Jeremy was starting to get nervous, sitting in the chair in the basement of the witches’ mansion. He hadn’t seen Stefan for a while since he had awakened Elijah and it was disconcerting. He knew Klaus couldn’t call or text him for safety but he needed some sort of contact. This complete silence with watching Elijah stand motionless near the coffins that held the rest of his family his only entertainment just didn’t make him feel very comfortable. 

He started to stand up but suddenly Elijah was standing in front of him, pushing him back into the chair with a hand on his shoulder. He opened his mouth to ask a question but Elijah placed his free hand over his mouth and leaned down to whisper in his ear.

“Stefan is coming. Act as he told you to, do not draw attention to the fact that I am missing from my coffin. I’m confident that I don’t actually have to tell you this but I want you to be clear on what you have to do,” Elijah whispered then disappeared. 

Jeremy was frozen, even as Stefan appeared in the room with vampire speed. He watched him walk quickly over to him but didn’t react in any way. He did react, though, when Stefan grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet, yanking him up against him hard. 

“How did Klaus know where to find you? More importantly, what made him decided to risk me harming you to come here?” Stefan asked. When Jeremy didn’t answer, he shook him hard. “Answer me, or I will bite you and drain you dry.”

Jeremy wasn’t at all frightened. He could feel Elijah’s gaze on him and knew that the Original would stop Stefan from actually biting him. “I don’t know, Stefan. Maybe you just gave him enough clues for him to be able to figure it out on his own. Nik isn’t stupid after all. Unlike you, that is,” he responded.

Stefan snarled and made a motion as if he were going to bite Jeremy but just as Jeremy could sense Elijah about to step in, he pulled back with his face turning into his vampire one. He glanced up at the ceiling of the basement with his lips pulling back in a silent snarl of rage. He turned his gaze back down to Jeremy and shoved the teenager to the floor. 

“I see I’m going to have to do things the hard way with the two of you,” he said.

Jeremy watched from where he had fallen as Stefan walked over to the far side of the room and pried up a few floorboards. He continued to watch with a growing sense of unease as Stefan lifted a wooden chest from the revealed compartment. He looked away, not wanting to watch what Stefan was doing anymore. It didn’t make any sense what the vampire was doing but whatever it was he didn’t want to know.

He jumped when he felt a hand grab both his arms, force him onto his knees then force his arms behind his back. He struggled briefly but when his arms were yanked higher up his back he moaned in pain and grew still. “Stefan, what are you doing?” he asked. He didn’t hold out much hope of the vampire answering but figured it was worth a try at least.

“Calm down Jeremy. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m just going to restrain you so that you can’t help Klaus when he gets here,” Stefan replied, speaking softly into Jeremy’s ear. He could feel Jeremy shiver but ignored it and used the silk scarf he had taken from the chest to bind the teenager’s wrists tightly. Normally, he wouldn’t have bothered but he wouldn’t be able to restrain him while he fought Klaus. He yanked the boy to his feet and pushed him toward the door. 

He froze after only taking a few steps, having seen something in the shadows off to the side of the room. After a moment, he passed it off as nerves for the impending fight and continued to push Jeremy out of the basement then up the stairs to the main floor. He led him to the living room then shoved him down onto the old couch. “Stay there,” he said.

He began pacing immediately after it was clear that Jeremy wouldn’t be going anywhere. He was nervous since he hadn’t wanted this to happen so soon. He stopped pacing and stared at Jeremy. He just knew that the boy had contacted his mate. He didn’t know how but he knew. He couldn’t ask the witches, they wouldn’t talk to him at the moment.

Most likely, Emily had asked Jeremy for his side of the story and the mere mention of mates had made them withdraw their help. He didn’t think anything of it at the moment but he knew that it would be a disadvantage when he had to fight the hybrid. He gave a miniscule jump when he felt his phone vibrate, snapping him out of his thoughts. He took it out and rolled his eyes at the text displayed there. He was ever thankful that iPhones gave a preview of the text messages before you opened them. 

It was Damon, asking him what the hell he was doing, playing with fire. Especially mated fire. He just didn’t understand what the big problem was about Jeremy being Klaus’s mate. Making a decision, he walked over to Jeremy and nudged the boy’s ankle with a foot to make him pay attention to him.

“What sort of benefits does Klaus get from being mated to you?” he asked.

Jeremy stared up at Stefan but didn’t answer. In truth, he would have answered willingly but fire suddenly coursed through his veins. It wasn’t a painful one, more like a fire of passion or comfort. He struggled not to give an outward sign to Stefan but wasn’t sure if he succeeded. He just didn’t care, as the fire in his veins must mean that Klaus was getting extremely close to the mansion.

Jeremy, pay attention to Stefan. If you ignore him much longer he will kill you. It won’t matter to him what Klaus will do to him.

Jeremy knew that Emily was trying to help but there was just no way that he could pay any attention to Stefan. He changed his mind when Stefan grabbed him and he was spun around to face the front door of the mansion. Klaus was standing in the doorway, and he did not look pleased.

{HC}

Elijah restrained himself from following Stefan and his brother’s mate. He logically knew that it would not be a good idea and would most likely get the human injured. With no humanity, no emotions Stefan was unpredictable and cold. It was one of the mistakes that Klaus had made that might end up harming the one thing he cared about in the world.

He sighed to himself. He could see why Jeremy was his brother’s mate. The human definitely had a strong will and wouldn’t let someone control him. He could see it when Stefan thought that he was controlling the boy. Jeremy gave in but only because he knew that Klaus was coming. Every line of the boy’s body had screamed that it wanted to resist the younger vampire. 

He just couldn’t understand why Stefan needed Jeremy upstairs with him. It would have been better for him to leave the boy down here. That way, he wouldn’t have to worry about being distracted so that he could fight Klaus. The only reason that he could think of was that Stefan was going to fight Klaus in the most dishonorable way possible. Even vampires and werewolves didn’t threaten loved ones, not when they were as intimately bound together as Klaus and Jeremy.

Cracking his neck, he glanced over to the coffin where Kol rested. He had been debating for a while now whether he should take the dagger out of his younger brother. He was unsure if Kol would hurt Jeremy and knew that Klaus wouldn’t just dagger him this time. If he awoke Kol and Kol hurt Jeremy, then Klaus would make sure that his youngest remaining brother was dead forever.

Sighing, he decided not to take the chance until Jeremy would be in a position to calm Klaus down without interference from anyone else. Looking up toward the ceiling when he sensed Klaus upstairs as well, he used his vampire speed to get upstairs .He stopped behind Stefan and slightly to the young vampire’s right to make sure that he wasn’t seen or sensed. 

He grimaced when he saw how Stefan was holding the young Gilbert male. The boy was pressed up against the vampire’s chest with Stefan holding the boy’s arms behind his back. Stefan’s head was tilted forward slightly, enough to be perceived as a threat to bite. His brother would not take that well. There was most likely no chance at all of the youngest Salvatore surviving this. If there was, it would only be because of Jeremy. And he had no idea if the human even cared for Stefan. He acted like he did but that could only be because his sister wanted him to. 

{HC}

Klaus snarled when he saw how the stupid Ripper was holding his mate. He restrained himself from moving from he was standing in the doorway. It was too far away from his mate in his opinion but he wouldn’t do anything that would get his mate bitten by such a disgusting example of a vampire. He breathed in through his nose deeply and met his mate’s eyes dead on.

He could see the fear present there but there was also faith. He wasn’t about to betray that faith his mate held in him and he could remember having caught a faint glimpse of Elijah standing behind Stefan when he had turned his head slightly to be able to look directly at Jeremy. 

…Klaus… know that we’re going to help you. We may not like you in any but Stefan lied to us. And you never lie to a witch about mates, even if it is about you. Jeremy doesn’t deserve our anger at you to affect his life. 

Klaus didn’t acknowledge the words he heard in his mind from one of the witches but he knew the spirits already knew he had heard. He kept his focus on Jeremy. “Why is it you have to hide behind a human, Salvatore? Do you know that I can take you down without any effort?” he asked. He knew he wasn’t really being himself but he was hoping to goad Stefan into letting his mate go so that Elijah could protect while he took care of the young vampire.

Stefan ground his teeth together. He knew, instinctively, that the hybrid was purposely goading him so that he didn’t hurt Jeremy but he couldn’t help but to fall for it. He released Jeremy, shoving him behind him. As soon as he released the boy and shoved him away, Klaus slammed into him. He fell to the ground with the hybrid on top of him. He tried to shove him off but Klaus didn’t budge an inch. 

He realised, at that moment, that nothing but Jeremy’s mercy would save him from real death. It was clear that the times he, Damon and the others had fought Klaus that the hybrid had been holding back, purposefully giving them hope when really he was just lulling them into a false sense of comfort. He stopped fighting Klaus, stilling and hoping that Jeremy would forgive him enough to stop Klaus. He also hoped that Klaus actually cared enough for the human to listen to him.

{HC}

Jeremy, when he had been shoved, had stumbled directly into someone’s arms. He jumped but quickly relaxed when he determined that it was Elijah holding him. He quickly turned his attention back to Klaus and Stefan and wasn’t surprised at all to see Klaus already holding the vampire his sister was in love with to the ground without any visible effort. He wanted to let his mate kill but he knew he would never hear the end of it from Elena. Besides that, he could understand why Stefan had done what he had. He didn’t agree with his methods but his reasons… his reasons were what his would have been.

“Klaus? Klaus, please, don’t,” he said softly, pleading with his mate. 

He felt Elijah tense behind him and understood that if he were anyone else but the hybrid’s mate, he would be dead for daring to interfere or try to tell him what to do. 

Klaus growled when he heard his mate’s plea. He knew the boy was only doing it for his sister and he could understand that but the need to take away what his wolf interpreted as a permanent threat to his mate was too much. His wolf howled that he had to take away the threat, that the only way was to kill the threat but he stopped himself when he felt waves of worry and longing coming from Jeremy. 

“Elijah, come and watch him for me,” he said softly. He was careful not to order his brother for he knew that Elijah had his limits and an order would most likely be that limit. 

Elijah raised an eyebrow at the fact that there was no command in his brother’s voice but released Jeremy, making sure he was steady on his feet before he walked over to Stefan and his brother. He waited for Klaus to get up and then he grabbed Stefan’s arm and quickly dragged him over to one of the couches, He kept an eye on him while making it look as if he merely dismissed him right away.

Klaus enveloped Jeremy in his arms, hugging him close, unwilling to let him go. He never wanted his mate to get any further from him than necessary. He would even keep him home from school if he could but he knew that his mate needed his education. He bent his head to the boy’s neck, drawing in a deep breath of his scent. The scent comforted him more than anything in the world. 

He snapped his head up when he heard movement from Stefan’s direction but Jeremy forced his head back down after glancing over his shoulder to make sure Elijah had it covered. He relaxed against his mate. He frowned, raising his head again when he felt his wolf rumble inside his head. He allowed his frown to deepen when he felt an urge to drink his mate’s blood. He had no wish to even try for he feared draining him dry. 

Jeremy shivered when he felt Klaus rub his nose along the column of his throat, tilting his head back to allow his mate more access. He felt a curl of burning heat in the pit of his stomach, easily identified as arousal. He flushed but didn’t protest when Klaus moved his head, molding his lips to his. 

Stumbling for a second when he felt Klaus press straight up against him, he quickly realized that the hybrid wanted him to walk backwards. He stumbled back with the weight of his mate, walking backwards until his back slammed against the wall. He gasped in surprise at the sudden stop but was quickly distracted as Klaus began to attack every inch of skin down throat and his collarbones that he could gain access to. 

“Niklaus, as overjoyed for you as I am, I’m sure that young Jeremy doesn’t want to become a show for us,” Elijah said, making Jeremy jump and Klaus growl.

Klaus reluctantly pulled away from Jeremy, knowing that what Elijah said was the truth. Added to the fact of Jeremy’s embarrassment was the fact that he wasn’t exactly one for voyeurism or public sex anyway. He pulled Jeremy gently away from the wall but then paused, unsure of what to do next. 

The indecision was broken by the sound of a cell phone ringing and Klaus dug into his pockets, extracting both his and Jeremy’s phones. It was Jeremy’s phone ringing and the name on the screen sent a bolt of nervousness through the hybrid. Jeremy’s reaction, however, was much more extreme. 

He pulled away completely from Klaus, backing away from the phone in his mate’s hand until his back hit the wall again. His face had drained of any and all color, leaving him as pale as a ghost. His eyes had grown as large as saucers which would have been a funny sight under any other circumstances except for the present ones. 

“Elena,” Jeremy whispered in a voice filled with love and yet also fear.


	9. A Problem Solved... Not!

Klaus was tempted to just press the ignore button on the annoying cell phone but he could tell from the look on his mate's face that that would just make things worse instead of better. He hadn't wanted to have to tell Elena anything about what was between him and Jeremy until the both of them had figured it out themselves. And as of the moment, they weren't even close.

Watching as Jeremy took a fortifying breath, Klaus quickly walked forward and wrapped an arm around his mate's shoulders before pulling him up against his side. He felt Jeremy stiffen slightly at the unexpected move but he quickly relaxed, clearly accepting the comfort offered to him. He hugged him closer still when the phone in his hand continued to ring.

Jeremy knew that by simply delaying answering the phone would not make Elena leave him alone, instead it would only make her more persistent. He glanced over at Klaus's face and could see that the hybrid was definitely annoyed. He rested a hand against his side, hoping to get him to relax as well for Klaus's tenseness had started to affect him as well.

"Klaus, we have to answer it sooner or later. Preferably sooner. I'm sure you know that Elena doesn't give up easily or usually at all," he said.

Klaus sighed and handed the phone over to Jeremy. "It's best if she doesn't hear my voice for as long as possible. I don't want to make you explain anything to her," he said. He waited for Jeremy to accept his phone back before he tried to pull away but stopped when he felt Jeremy wrap an arm around his waist and hold tight, unwilling to let him go anywhere.

"Don't, Klaus. She may be my sister, but I can clearly see that she really only ever thinks about herself. She probably pulled everything out of Damon when they got home to find me gone. I don't remember if I said I was going anywhere but…," Jeremy said. He snuggled up against Klaus as close as he could get. He stared at the phone in his hands for a moment before holding it back out to Klaus. "You talk to her. She'll try to guilt me into confessing everything and I don't want that. You can handle her better."

Klaus frowned briefly but it quickly smoothed away into a soft smile as he understood that Jeremy didn't want to be manipulated by his own sister. He tapped the accept button on the phone and raised it to his ear. "Jeremy's phone," he said in greeting, making sure his British accent was clear and that his voice was easily recognisable.

There was silence from the other end of the line, silence that quickly made Klaus impatient. He wrapped his own arm around Jeremy, feeling protective for reasons he couldn't think of.

"Where is my brother? What have you done with him?" came Elena's voice finally.

Klaus grimaced. He had never really noticed before just how annoying the doppelganger's voice was until now. He held the phone away from his ear as she continued to demand answers of him, even though it sounded more like screeching than talking of any sort.

"If you would be silent, I would be able to answer your question," he said. The silence that followed his words were cherished but he could hear Elena talking furiously to Damon, even though it was obvious that she was trying to make sure he didn't hear anything. He rolled his eyes, knowing right away that she had pulled everything from the older Salvatore.

"Okay. Start talking then. Starting with where my brother is and what you want so I can get him back," Elena said, trying to commanding. It only made Klaus want to laugh and from the look he saw on Jeremy's face, he shared the sentiment.

"I'm certain you've already wrung it out of our poor Damon Salvatore by now. So why don't you tell me what you know," Klaus said. He knew he was playing with fire but he wouldn't let Elena run the show. It wasn't in his nature.

There was a growl from Elena but she complied. "Damon told me that you said Jeremy was your mate. That you're destined to be together, whatever that means. Personally, I think you're just playing with my broth-," she said but Klaus cut her off before she could finish, furious at what she was implying. He would never hurt Jeremy and never had. He winced, thinking that over. He had hurt Jeremy by killing his aunt but his mate had already told him he was forgiven for that.

Jeremy, having heard his sister's accusation, used the hand he had wrapped around the hybrid's waist to slip under his shirt and rub the skin of his hip to calm him down. He smiled softly when Klaus glanced down at him again. He brought his free hand to the back of Klaus's head and gently guided his head down a little so he could kiss him without rising a little on his toes.

Klaus gently pulled away from Jeremy, brushing his nose gently against his mate's as thanks. He knew he was completely out of character but he knew he would only be like that with his mate. It was the drive to please him, for the both of them to be happy. He ignored the screeches from Elena on the phone, silently wishing for her to go away but knowing that it wouldn't happen.

"He wasn't lying to you and neither have I lied to him. As he most likely told you, Jeremy confirmed what I told him. Also, Jeremy and I both allowed Damon to make sure I hadn't compelled Jeremy," he said, turning back to the conversation at hand to get it over with.

"If that is true then let me talk to my brother. Let me hear it from him personally," Elena responded, quick as a striking viper.

Klaus was reluctant. He knew the girl would try to convince Jeremy that he was only playing with him to get to her but, looking down into the human's face, he knew that Jeremy would never believe that. He had admitted straight out to him that he knew his sister was self-centered.

Sighing, he handed the phone to Jeremy, kissing him again gently and briefly. "Talk to her. I'll talk to Elijah about what we should do with Stefan," he said.

Jeremy took the phone, not missing the reluctance on the hybrid's face as he started to pull away from him. "Maybe you should start with putting him back to normal. His… switch, I think Damon called it could be put back to normal," he suggested, trying to help him.

Klaus cocked his head, thinking it over. He decided that it would probably be a good start and kissed Jeremy again. He pulled away completely, the reluctance clear in his body. He could tell that Elijah saw it from the slight smirk that his brother sent his way from where he stood.

Jeremy watched Klaus for a moment longer then reluctantly concentrated on his sister. "I'm here, 'Lena and I'm fine. Klaus hasn't done anything to me," he said after raising the phone to his ear.

"But what are you doing with Klaus? You know he's lying to you right?" Elena asked a hint of desperation apparent in her voice.

Jeremy rolled his eyes, glancing toward Klaus. He watched him talk to Elijah, tense but still relaxed. He had known that this would be Elena's plan but it didn't mean he had been ready to argue with her. He heard whispering from Elena's end of the line. He knew that Damon was trying to help him, for reasons he didn't even want to try to understand.

"Okay, fine. Just come home and we'll talk in person. It's hard to be sure that you haven't been compelled when we're talking over the phone," Elena said, sighing. "You can bring Klaus, I guess, if you have to."

Jeremy didn't even bother responding to that, instead he just said a curt goodbye and tapped the end call button on the screen of his phone. He slipped it into his pocket and walked over to Klaus and Elijah. He slipped around to stand in front of Klaus, not even jumping when the hybrid's arms wrapped loosely around his waist. He leaned back right up against him, tilting his head back to rest on his mate's shoulder.

Glancing toward Elijah, he noticed the smirk on the Original's face but didn't react. He knew that when he was concerned that Klaus was a brand new person but it didn't matter to him. So long as Klaus didn't use him against his sister or hurt him, Klaus could act however he wanted.

"Elena wants me to go home so that we can talk. She said something about not being able to believe that I haven't been compelled when we're talking over the phone compared to in person as her reason," he said. He could feel the growl rumbling in Klaus's chest. "She added, as an afterthought I think, that I could bring you along if I had to. As if I had no choice but to bring you with me."

Klaus met eyes with Elijah and was able to see that his brother regretted ever bothering to even considering working with the doppelganger against him. The girl was nice at first glance but after a few minutes in her presence, her self-centered nature was obvious to even an idiot.

"I'll only go with you if you want me to," he said, pulling Jeremy straight up against him. He felt a shiver go through the boy when he ran a hand across his waist but he didn't move below the waistband of the boy's jeans. He didn't want to give Elijah another show.

"Of course I want you to come. I was going to ask you but you beat me to it with your offer," Jeremy said tilting his head back a bit more to smile up at Klaus. He tilted his head back down and smiled a little at Elijah. "Do you want to come to or do you have something else you have to do?"

Elijah blinked in surprise at the question, giving Jeremy an assessing look. He flicked his eyes briefly at Klaus but his brother only had bare curiosity in his eyes. He glanced over at Stefan, still sitting on the couch, and rolled his eyes when the young vampire threw his hands up, trying to say he would not do anything. He didn't believe for a second but he really didn't want to stay in this house.

He transferred his attention to Klaus. His mind drifted back to the sight of Kol in that coffin downstairs and he decided that Klaus should know where the rest of their family was. "What are we to do with Kol and the others?" he asked.

Klaus frowned at that and glanced at Jeremy as the boy pulled away from him and started to head downstairs. Finally, Elijah's question fully hit him and he flashed over to Jeremy, grabbing his arm to stop him from continuing. "Stop. If you're thinking of waking up Kol, I wouldn't. When I daggered him, he and I weren't on the best of terms," he said.

Jeremy frowned down at Klaus's hand holding his forearm in a grip tight like steel. Klaus seemed to realise he was holding his mate too tightly for he let him go. He glanced back up at Klaus. "I wasn't thinking about Kol, actually. I was thinking about, Finn, wasn't it?" he asked, giving the hybrid a soft confident smile.

Klaus was unsettled when Jeremy mentioned that it was Finn he had been thinking of waking up. Finn had technically asked to be daggered but not how most people would ask for something. "You remember me talking to you about Finn don't you?" he demanded of his mate. When Jeremy nodded to him in response, he sighed. "Alright. But I'm coming with you to make sure he doesn't hurt you."

Jeremy nodded at that, he had expected nothing less. He took Klaus's hand and gently pulled him along. He did his best not to look around the house for everything about the decay made him feel uncomfortable. When he reached the coffins, he paused, trying to remember which one was Finn. He jumped when Klaus gently guided him to the coffin at the furthest part of the basement.

He ran his hands briefly over the wood then opened the top part of the coffin lid. He blinked, having forgotten just how much Klaus had told him Finn, Elijah, and Kol all looked similar. Swallowing from his sudden uncertainty, he turned his attention to the dagger sticking out of the vampire's chest and wrapped his fingers around it. He glanced back at Klaus for reassurance and when the hybrid nodded, wrapping an arm around his waist, he pulled the dagger out.

Klaus quickly pulled Jeremy away from his oldest brother's coffin, not wanting Finn to bite him. He nudged him behind him to protect him. He could feel Jeremy bristle slightly but he knew that he would understand when he saw how Finn reacted. He remained tense standing beside the coffin as he waited for his brother to fully awaken.

Jeremy jumped out of the way when the oldest Original vampire suddenly catapulted out of the coffin and slammed into Klaus. He backed up until he bumped into someone, which made him jump even though he knew subconsciously that it could only be Elijah. He turned around and Elijah steadied him. He turned his head to watch as he heard something crash onto the floor. He relaxed when he saw that Klaus had merely thrown Finn against his coffin which had sent both vampire and coffin to the floor in a heap.

He turned around to watch, not really wanting but at the same time not being able to resist. He gave a silent sigh of relief when he saw that Klaus clearly gained the upper hand against Finn with his hybrid status. He jumped when Elijah suddenly spun him around to face him again.

"Where is the dagger that was in Finn?" Elijah asked. When Jeremy just blinked at him blankly, clearly dazed when the sound of snarling reached them but he didn't have time to soothe him right now. "Jeremy, you have to think. Finn, in his anger, could use the dagger on Klaus."

That seemed to get through to Jeremy and the boy glanced back toward where the coffin had fallen. He studied the area carefully from where he stood with Elijah, remembering that he had dropped the dagger when Klaus had pulled him behind him. "It's there. Right beside the coffin," he said, pointing so that Elijah wouldn't have to look like he had.

Elijah followed Jeremy's finger and spotted the dagger instantly. He glanced over at Klaus and Finn and saw that they were at an impasse. Neither Finn nor Klaus had the upper hand at the moment and Finn didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon unless he interfered and calmed his brother down. He sighed, told Jeremy to stay where he was and not until he was back, and flashed over to the dagger. He quickly picked it up and slid the blade up his sleeves and the pommel in the palm of his hands.

He flashed back to Jeremy and waited to see if Klaus or Finn would stop soon. When it became apparent that neither of them would do anything of the sort, he handed the dagger to Jeremy, not wanting to get daggered again on accident by either of his brothers. He flashed over to them, grabbing Klaus by the shoulder and shoving him in Jeremy's direction then grabbing Finn and shoving and holding him against the nearby wall.

Klaus would never admit to anyone out loud that he stumbled but he did admit to himself that he wasn't steady on his feet on his way to Jeremy. He stared for a moment at Elijah and Finn but then turned back to Jeremy and kissed him deeply.

He heard a noise from Finn and Elijah's direction and turned his head to see what was going on. He heard a choked snigger from Jeremy which he knew meant the boy had been trying to restrain himself but one had slipped out anyway. Turning his attention back to Elijah and Finn, he noticed that Elijah seemed to be using more force now to hold their brother against the wall.

Jeremy followed Klaus's gaze and sighed at the standoff staring contest the two Originals were having. He slipped away from Klaus and quickly walked over to Elijah before Klaus could stop him. "Finn?" he asked tentatively, meeting eyes with the oldest Original.

Finn stared at the human boy for a moment before relaxing. He wasn't sure why but as angry as he was, he recognized that calming aura the boy had. He didn't think it was anything to do with magic for it felt natural to him. He glanced towards Klaus out of the corner of his eyes but quickly dismissed the idea of attacking him. He had clearly done the ritual to become a hybrid and he knew instinctually that his age would not aid him in winning in any way.

Jeremy took the fact that Finn didn't attack him or move period as a good sign. He took in a deep breath and held out the dagger. "Would it help you to trust us if I gave you this to keep?" he asked.

Klaus allowed a low growl to slip out at his mate's action. "Jeremy…" he said, the concern in his voice clear to anyone. He didn't care at all whether his brothers heard it. He just didn't want his mate harmed.

Jeremy merely glanced at Klaus from the corner of his eye before turning his complete attention back to Finn. He waited patiently, holding the dagger out with the blade pointed toward him and not the vampire.

Finn glanced down at the dagger then over at Klaus. After a moment, he shook his head and pushed the dagger gently and carefully toward Jeremy, turning the blade to face the ground as he did so. "You keep it. I doubt my brother would compel you or let anyone force you to use it on any of us," he said, his British accent strong.

Jeremy blinked then inclined his head in acceptance, backing away from Finn. He jumped when arms suddenly wrapped around his waist but when he turned his head to look, he relaxed when he saw that it was only Klaus. He leaned back against the hybrid, allowing his body to go almost limp. "What do we do now? I really don't want to go get the third degree from my sister," he said.

"Why don't you allow me to have a talk with Elena?" Elijah asked from where he stood behind Klaus.

Jeremy twisted slightly in Klaus's embrace to be able to better see Elijah. After thinking for a moment, he shook his head. "No. From how Elena sounded in that call, I don't think anything expect for seeing and speaking to me and Klaus in person will help this situation," he said reluctantly. He placed a hand on Klaus's chest for more leverage so that he could look the hybrid in the eyes.

"We'll go. I'm sure that the both of us don't really want to go but…" Klaus allowed himself to trail off as he returned Jeremy's gaze. He released Jeremy, instead twining his fingers with Jeremy's. He could sense the reluctant resignation from his mate through their bond, however incomplete it was, and it made him angry but he did his best to choke it down for he didn't want to affect Jeremy with it.

Elijah studied their clasped hands for a moment before he inclined his head in acceptance to the plan. "Would you like for me to go with you?" he offered politely. He didn't care either way but he would be polite in offering for Jeremy's sake.

Jeremy turned his head slightly to look at Klaus for his opinion and found him studying his brother with great scrutiny in his eyes. "Klaus?" he whispered although he knew that Elijah could hear him anyway.

At the sound of Jeremy's voice, Klaus turned his head towards him and allowed his face and eyes to soften. "It doesn't matter to me. You can choose whether he comes along or not," he whispered softly, only for Jeremy's ears.

Jeremy smiled softly at his mate in return then looked back over at Elijah. "Do you think you could help to calm Elena down just by being there?" he asked, hoping for a positive answer. He knew that his sister had feelings for Elijah but he wasn't sure how Elijah felt or, more importantly, whether Stefan and Damon were aware of the feelings she held for the Original.

Elijah looked into the boy's eyes and could tell what he was thinking. It had been easy for him to see the feelings the Doppelganger had been developing for him but he had learnt his lesson with Katerina. She had played with his heartstrings, however dead they were, and he had allowed her. He had made the promise to himself that that would never happen and he had been able to keep that promise so far. He didn't intend to break it now. "I believe so, yes. As I'm, sure you've already figured out, she at least believes she has feelings for me," he replied calmly.

Jeremy nodded, snuggling up against Klaus. He suddenly felt exhausted and figured that the events of the recent weeks were finally catching up with him. He quickly grasped his mate's shoulder, his fingers of his free hand grasping the fabric of the hybrid's shirt. "I'm exhausted, Nik," he whispered in response to his mate's worried glance. He would deny it to his last breath but he squeaked when he was suddenly lifted up into his mate's arms after those words escaped his lips.

Elijah laughed silently to himself, only allowing a slight smile to show his amusement outwardly. It was a rare sight for him to see his brother caring about anyone like he did Jeremy but he supposed when it was your mate, the one destined to keep you happy for the rest of your life, to be there when you need them, then even the most cruel of people could do a complete 180 degree turn in attitude.

When his brother shot him a glare, he wasn't surprised. It was too much to hope that it would mean he would be nice to everyone. It appeared that the attitude change only included Jeremy and no one else. Which was unfortunate for he would have liked to see his brother light hearted like he had been when he was younger. Shrugging and following Klaus, he decided that at least Jeremy could be persuaded to get Klaus to lighten up around people.

Judging by the fact that Stefan and even Damon were still alive, the boy was already having an effect on his brother. He drew out of his thoughts when he sensed a heartbeat that was not Jeremy's. Glancing briefly up, he saw that they had already at the Gilbert household. He sighed, feeling the dread in his body but he shook it off when he noticed how tense both his brother and Jeremy had become at the sight of the house. He gave Jeremy a reassuring when he noticed him looking at him over Klaus's shoulder.

Jeremy gave Elijah a grateful smile in return then turned his head back into Klaus's neck. "Let's get this over with. I know I'll have a headache very soon and I want to be able to get to sleep as soon as possible. And, I'm sure you want to take care of Stefan later too," he added, knowing that Klaus could understand him even though he was talking into the hybrid's skin.

Klaus merely tightened his grip on Jeremy, glanced back at Elijah to make sure he was still coming then began the walk from the sidewalk to the house. He resisted a snort of disgust at the mere sight of the house in front of him for Jeremy's sake. It was really the only memory he had of his parents as far as he knew.

Too soon, he had reached the porch steps and therefore the door with Elijah coming to a stop right beside him. He didn't even bother to knock, instead just standing there. He knew that Elena most likely have Damon watching out for them, excluding Elijah, and she would be at the door in a few seconds.

Sure enough, mere seconds after he thought that, the door opened and there stood Elena, glaring at him in complete fury but tinged with worry and fear for her brother. Worry and fear that was completely unnecessary for he would never harm Jeremy.

"You have a lot of explaining to do," Elena said, staring directly at Klaus as she spoke. Then, her eyes glancing toward Elijah then in the house, presumably where Damon was, she grit her teeth in determination. "All of you. Right after you let go of my brother and I kill you, Klaus."


	10. Family Seperated but a New Family Found

"I don't believe any of this!" Elena said in a raised voice as she paced around the living room. Jeremy winced from where he sat on the couch in between Damon and Elijah. He knew that she was steadily approaching a shout and his eardrums were already ringing. He looked up at Klaus, who was reluctantly leaning against the wall across the room from him.

Elena had refused to allow Klaus anywhere near Jeremy as soon as the two of them had stepped over the threshold of the front door. She had immediately forced Damon to sit beside her brother even though Damon obviously did not want to be even 5 miles near the Gilbert house at the moment.

"Elena, can't you try to understand," Jeremy pleaded, trying to get his sister to understand, to accept. He didn't want to, but he knew that if she refused he would go anywhere with Klaus. And, he supposed, Klaus' siblings since they most likely would follow them anyway.

Finn, after all, didn't know the modern world at all and he was still angry at Klaus. Nothing Jeremy could do or say would solve that. Only time with Klaus would and what they did in that time, Jeremy would do his best to ignore it. Elijah could go his own way but from what Jeremy understood about the second oldest Original, he only wanted his family back together, just like Klaus. It was why he had betrayed Elena after all. Klaus had promised to reunite all of them.

Jeremy flinched inwardly when he remembered that. He still didn't approve or understand why Klaus had made such a promise then broken it but he didn't want to ask in front of his sister.

He jumped, snapping out of his thoughts when he felt a hand on his own. Looking down at his hands that he had rested on his knees, he saw that it Elijah, who sat on his left side. He turned his head to look at him and blinked at the soft, understanding look he was given by the Original. He didn't understand what it was for at the moment but he appreciated it nonetheless.

Seeing Jeremy wasn't paying attention to her, Elena stopped in front of her brother and grabbed his shoulder, shaking him. She froze though when she heard a growl from Klaus' direction and even Damon and Elijah were giving her looks that told her to stop or die. "Jeremy, could you just… explain everything again," she asked, slightly timidly.

Jeremy glanced at Klaus again and could see that his mate was losing his patience with Elena. To be honest, he was as well. His sister was just taking holding a grudge a little too far. He sighed, his exhaustion catching up with him. This was just getting ridiculous. He had already explained twice, Damon and Elijah once each and Klaus hadn't tried but that was only because it was obvious to anyone that Elena would only take anything Klaus explained the wrong way.

"I'm not sure where you want me to start Elena. We've already been over everything about three of four times," he said, his voice exhausted. He smiled when he heard Damon's muttered remark of, "More like over a dozen times. At the rate we're going even the hybrid will die of old age before you finally understand." It was clear Elena didn't hear it or she wouldn't still be standing in front of him so calmly.

Elena glanced behind her at Klaus again. She could sense that he was close to snapping and was nervous at actually causing him to snap. She didn't believe anything about this mate business that Klaus had filled her brother and Damon's heads with. As far as she was concerned, Klaus was only manipulating her brother to get close to her, like he was always doing.

Jeremy jumped up from the couch and went over to Klaus when he saw that the hybrid had finally used up all of his patience. He knew he wouldn't have made it past Elena if both Damon and Elijah hadn't of grabbed an arm and pulled her down to sit on the couch in his spot. He quickly placed a hand on Klaus' chest pushing him back against the wall and shifted to stand directly in front of him. Everything in him was telling him that unless he wanted to be one sister less, then he would have to do whatever necessary to calm his mate down.

"Klaus, killing her won't solve anything," he whispered softly, leaning forward slightly. He hoped that his close proximity would help the hybrid to control himself.

Klaus glanced down at Jeremy then glanced over to Elena. He could see that she was both angry and worried. He disregarded her then wrapped his arms around Jeremy. "Perhaps maiming would?" he whispered softly, low enough for only Jeremy to hear. When Jeremy shook his head at him with a small smile on his face, he knew that Jeremy was amused but completely serious. When he sensed Elena moving closer to him, He pulled Jeremy right up against him and pulled his lips back in a snarl.

Elijah noticed that his brother was getting annoyed and was most likely past his breaking point. He shot a glance at Damon and was satisfied when the younger vampire nodded to him and got up, walking over to Elena. He watched calmly as he whispered to her and she slowly, although reluctantly, relaxed against him, Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jeremy doing more or less the same with Klaus. It still puzzled him that Klaus would act the way that he did around Jeremy, mates or not. His brother did enjoy hurting people to a certain extent after all.

"Are we done, Elena? I just want to get some sleep. What with you, Stefan, Nik's brothers…" Jeremy began but trailed off when his sister whipped her head around to stare at him when he mentioned Stefan. He turned his head to look at Klaus behind him then glanced over at Elijah. "None of us explained the Stefan part, did we?" Jeremy asked, addressing Elijah.

Elijah shook his head, mentally slapping himself in the head. He had known throughout everyone's explanations that they had all been forgetting about something and now he felt stupid for having forgotten about the youngest vampire. He turned his attention away from mentally scolding himself and back to Elena as she spoke again.

"What about Stefan? Did your 'mate' kill him or something?" Elena asked, staring hard at her brother, almost to the point of being able to consider it glaring. She looked at the faces of all the males in the room and felt somewhat gratified that Damon looked just as confused and interested as she was sure she did.

Damon ignored Elena and Elijah for the moment, instead looking at Jeremy and Klaus. "I'm actually interested in that as well. I remember you calling me," he said, addressing Klaus. "But you never did call me again to tell me what happened, even though it's obvious you found the kid since he's pressed right up against you."

Jeremy twisted around to be able to hide his face in the crook of Klaus's neck for he didn't want to remember those recent events. He glanced from under his lashes at Klaus, nodding to show that it was alright for his mate to tell his sister and the others but his eyes also telling that he would not be participating in this tale.

Damon turned his gaze to Elena briefly and could immediately tell that their argument from mere minutes ago was not over. She was staring at Jeremy and Klaus in their close embrace and her eyes held disgust and anger. There was no happiness whatsoever for her brother and neither was there any acceptance present.

Klaus tightened his arms around Jeremy, pulling the teenager closer. He could sense negative emotions from Elena, not as good as a witch would but enough to know that she would never accept the relationship he had with her brother even if that made Jeremy miserable. Looking down at his mate's face, which was pressed tightly against his shoulder, he knew that he would do anything to keep him happy. He briefly entertained the idea of just compelling her but after a shared glanced with Elijah he knew that wasn't an option to even briefly entertain. It wouldn't really be Elena accepting after all.

"It ended fine. Finn is looking after your wonderful brother," Klaus said staring directly at Damon and completely ignoring Elena to the best of his abilities. Her glare didn't bother him all that much and he was confident that Damon wouldn't help her in whatever plot she tried to think up to 'save' her brother. He found it amusing how she didn't notice that Jeremy was completely content with him.

Jeremy nudged Klaus lightly when he mentioned Finn. It was not a good idea to tell his sister that he woke up another Original. He would never hear the end of that and then she would never accept that he was completely willing in his relationship with Klaus. He knew how his sister worked and he had already known as Klaus had explained everything to him that he would most likely never be able to see his sister again when she found out.

Damon raised an eyebrow at what he knew to be the name of the oldest Original vampire but he didn't say anything after noticing the panicked look Jeremy was trying to hide as he gazed at Elena. He stood and walked over to Elena, reaching out to grab her arm but she moved quicker than he thought she could and avoided him. He had a bad feeling as he watched her walk quickly over to Jeremy.

Jeremy stood stock still in shock as he watched Elena approach, unable to move. He could feel that Klaus was just as frozen behind him, but not for the same reasons as he was. He knew his mate was just waiting to see what she would do but Jeremy already knew and he was proven right when he felt his head snap to the side and his cheek sting from the force of his sister's slap.

Klaus snarled and quickly checked to make sure that Jeremy was alright before he nudged him gently around and into Elijah's arms. He jumped forward towards Elena, bringing the both of them to the ground. He allowed his vampire face to take over and brought his mouth to her neck, about to bite her and drain her dry for daring to harm his Jeremy.

Jeremy shook his head, disoriented from the quick movements and pressed a hand to his stinging red cheek. He looked up and saw Elijah, which confused him for a moment until he twisted his head around to where he and Klaus had been standing just barely a few seconds ago. He tried to go over to stop the hybrid but he was grabbed by the elbows and pulled back against Elijah's chest. "Elijah, please, he needs to stop," he pleaded.

Elijah shook his head, feeling horrible for having to restrain the boy but he knew that Klaus would just hurt Jeremy, maybe even kill him in the state he was in. He pulled Jeremy closer, wrapping one arm around the teenager's chest and in the process restraining his arms to his side while he wrapped the other arm around his throat.

Jeremy choked slightly at the pressure on his throat and felt Elijah loosen the muscles in his arm in response. "Elijah, please. I don't want my sister dead, not for me. Definitely not because she slapped me," he said lowly, staring at Klaus who was still posed to bite Elena. He wiggled in Elijah's hold but game up after a few seconds, realising the vampire wouldn't let him go.

Elijah sighed at the boy's plea. He understood what he was asking but he didn't want to have to see his brother try to work through guilt, something he knew he had never felt, because he had injured or killed his mate. For all any of them knew, if Jeremy died then perhaps Klaus did as well and vice versa. Reluctantly, he released the boy and took a few steps back. When Jeremy turned his head around to look at him, he inclined his head over to Klaus and Elena on the floor.

Jeremy nodded in relief to Elijah and quickly walked over to Klaus, tentatively grabbing his mate's shoulder. He wasn't sure what happened next but the next thing that he knew was that he was lying on the ground with Klaus straddling his hips. His eyes were amber and his hybrid face was showing. Jeremy remained calm even when he noticed that Klaus's lips were pulled back in a snarl.

"Klaus? Klaus, it's me. Please, I don't want you to do anything to Elena. I'm angry at her for slapping me but we both understand why she slapped me," he said, raising a hand slowly to make sure that Klaus understood he meant nothing aggressive with the move. He stared into the hybrid's eyes, trying to emphasize his message. He pressed his hand to his cheek and smiled slightly when Klaus pressed a hand to his in return.

Klaus inhaled deeply as he stared at Jeremy, pushing his anger and his werewolf side to the back of his mind. He raised himself to his feet, carefully getting up off of Jeremy as he did and releasing his hand. He put out a hand for Jeremy to take and when he did he pulled him to his feet.

Jeremy allowed Klaus to pull him up against him and envelope him in his arms. He wasn't afraid of him, knowing that it had been his instinct to protect him. He raised his head and brought a hand to the back of Klaus's head, pressing lightly to get him to lower his head. With the better angle, Jeremy kissed Klaus and pressed himself close to him. He flicked his eyes briefly to his sister and saw that she was staring at them with a new light in her eyes. He wasn't sure if it was good or bad but he pushed it away for now and concentrated on Klaus.

Klaus was slightly surprised at the kiss from Jeremy but he didn't protest. He did pull away for a brief moment to look into his eyes but he kissed him again when he saw the desperate need for comfort in his eyes. He flicked his eyes over his mate's shoulder at Elijah and relaxed when his brother nodded to him and disappeared. He still found it amazing that Elijah could understand a mere look from him.

Jeremy pulled away from the kiss, needing to breathe. He pressed his head into the crook of Klaus's neck, keeping his hand on the back of his head while he brought the other down and around Klaus's waist for better support so that he didn't feel like his legs were going to collapse underneath him.

"Jeremy?" came Elena's timid voice from behind Klaus.

Jeremy stared up at Klaus, silently asking him whether he should bother to even consider listening to his sister.

"Jeremy, please. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to slap you, I was just angry and I wanted to get Klaus away from you so that he could quit manipulating you. I mean can't you see that he's just using you to get closer to-"

Jeremy pulled away from Klaus and took a few steps toward Elena but he made sure that he was still pretty far away from her. "Just stop there, Elena. I don't want to hear it. Not everything revolves around you in this town or even in this world. Am I not allowed to be happy just so you can? Are you that vain and self-absorbed to just care about yourself and screw everyone else?" he asked, furious. He had known that his sister had self-importance issues for years but he had never thought they were this bad.

Klaus noticed Elena begin to speak and quickly released a growl, stopping her so that Jeremy could get his point across.

"You're not even my sister, only my cousin so you don't have a right to tell me what to do. Neither do Stefan and Damon, don't think I haven't forgotten those times when you've gotten Damon to compel me so that I was 'safe'," Jeremy scoffed as he said the word, finding the very idea that Elena did what she did to keep those she loved safe the more he actually thought through everything she had ever done since the Salvatore brothers had arrived in town.

"Jeremy, you-" Elena began but Jeremy shook his head, sending a glance to Damon and giving him a grateful smile when the vampire covered Elena's mouth with a hand and gripped her arm to make sure she didn't move.

"Just don't Elena. I don't want to hear anymore. I really hope Damon can see the real you," he said, staring at the mentioned vampire. "I'm going to tell you this one last time; Klaus loves me and I love him. He's not using me and one proof you should have noticed is that Elijah has actually supported our story. Even more, Damon hates Klaus and I know for sure that he doesn't care much for me personally but he's helped us too."

He turned away from her, grabbing Klaus's hand and sending him a look to tell him he wanted away from the house and the girl who claimed to be family. He jumped slightly when there was a rush of air on his other side but he relaxed when he felt a hand on his shoulder that he recognized as belonging to Elijah. "Just get me out of here, please Klaus," he whispered, leaning into the two vampires.

Klaus nodded, sharing a glance with his brother. He could they both understood what had just happened. Jeremy had made it clear that he wasn't going to allow himself to be controlled by her anymore and that he was going to allow himself to be happy instead of miserable, as he had been. He didn't even blink at the sight of his white BMW SUV sitting in front of the house at the curb.

Jeremy however blinked at the sight of the car but he didn't say anything, trusting that if it was important then Klaus would tell him. He sent one last glance back over his shoulder at his house. He didn't want to have to leave the house he had grown up in but he knew that unless he wanted to be doing what his sister told him all the time and never have the full story of whatever was going on that he had to go.

Klaus noticed the sadness in his mate through their bond but he said nothing. He knew from experience that this was something he had to let Jeremy work through on his own. He really wanted to just smother his mate with affection to distract him but that was never a good choice since it only delayed the inevitable.

Jeremy sighed, turning his attention away from his childhood home and back to the present. He leaned into Klaus's side, taking a great deal of comfort from the arm Klaus wrapped around his shoulders. He stopped when Klaus did, allowed him to open the back door for him then quickly got in, suddenly wanting to be far away from the house. He blinked in shock when he noticed Klaus eyeing the rest of the backseat. Hesitantly, he shifted over to make room for him in case he decided to sit beside him.

The hybrid noticed his mate's surprise at the fact he was going to sit with him and he wasn't surprised. From what the teenager had told him and what he had seen ever since he had arrived in Mystic Falls, Elena and anyone else the boy knew didn't really show that big of an interest in hanging out with him or even being near him. He got into the car and sat down, buckling his seat belt and reaching over to buckle Jeremy's.

Elijah got into the driver's seat, staring at Jeremy in the rear view mirror. He felt a great deal of sympathy for the boy as Elena hadn't even bothered to try to stop him from leaving. He had actually heard her start criticizing Jeremy as they got to the door but he hadn't dared to mention it to his brother, especially in front of Jeremy. The teenager had looked miserable enough.

He took out Klaus's keys and put the car key in the ignition. He turned it, starting the engine. He pulled away from the curb and focused on driving to the mansion Klaus had built in the forest. He rolled his eyes when he noticed in the mirror that Klaus appeared to be giving Jeremy space that the teenager clearly didn't need or want. As a matter of fact, Elijah could tell that he actually wanted Klaus really close. He took out his phone, confident of his reflexes to stop a crash, and texted Klaus to try to get him to come to his senses.

Klaus jolted slightly, sending a small glare to his brother, knowing that the message on his phone was going to be from him. He took out his phone anyway, checking the message.

You do realize that Jeremy wants you to comfort him and not leave him alone, don't you dear brother? You're supposed to be better at feelings than the rest of us after all.

-Elijah

Klaus glanced up from his phone at Elijah in the rear view mirror and nodded slightly in admittance that his brother was right and he had been acting like an idiot. He glanced at Jeremy out of the corner of his eye and saw that he was purposefully ignoring him and resisting looking at him. He sighed, mentally berating himself for his stupidity and unbuckled his seatbelt. He scooted down the seat and sat beside Jeremy.

He buckled the seatbelt around his waist and wrapped an arm around Jeremy's shoulders, not surprised when he tried to shrug him off. He stubbornly kept his arm wrapped around him, and braced himself as he twisted around and hit on the chest. He winced to himself in sympathy for Jeremy, knowing it must have felt like he was hitting a rick. He only moved to restrain him when he noticed Jeremy pulling his arm back to try to punch him again. He gripped his wrists tightly and when Jeremy tried to jerk backwards out of his grip, he instead yanked him forward into his arms.

He rode out the teenager's struggles for the next minute or so, understanding that he was finally reacting to practically estranging himself from his sister. He had known that Jeremy had been too calm about the whole situation but he realized now that Jeremy had just been too angry at the Doppelganger to have to feel sad or regret. He enveloped him in his arm and brought a hand to the back of the boy's head, gently guiding him to lay it on his shoulder for what came next.

Jeremy resisted, wanting to get away from Klaus since he hadn't been interested in comforting him as soon as they got in the car but he ultimately gave in, knowing he both needed and wanted the comfort. When he felt Klaus bring his head down to his shoulder, he hesitated, struggling again for a moment, before he gave in and pressed his face into his shoulder, allowing the tears to fall but for some reason he couldn't grasp, he didn't make a sound as he cried.


	11. Magic of the Mating Bond

Elena stared after her brother and the two Original vampires who had accompanied him with disbelief. She couldn't believe that her own brother had just walked away from her, choosing Klaus who was using him over her, his own sister when she was just trying to care for him and protect him. She turned to Damon who was seated on the couch now but he was studiously staring at the wall and purposely ignoring her. She grew angry at that, not able to believe that even Damon was falling for all of this.

"How can you believe all the lies Klaus has convinced Jeremy is the truth? I thought you were better than that?" she demanded in outrage.

She gasped in surprise and a little bit of fear when Damon suddenly appeared in front of her, grabbing her by the throat and pinning her to the wall behind her. She could see in his eyes that she had pushed his limits; limits that she hadn't even been aware existed with her. She thought he loved her after all.

Damon tightened his grip slightly on Elena's throat. "Let's make something clear, Elena. I'm not my dear brother Stefan, who would blindly follow you anywhere. I actually think things through for myself. Besides, you know nothing about the supernatural. If you did, you know that no vampire, even one with a personality like Klaus's, would ever lie about being mates with someone just to get close to their enemy or someone they have a strong desire to kill. It's just not how it works," he said, his voice almost a snarl in his anger.

Elena nodded then coughed to get air back into her lungs when Damon released her throat. She hadn't even thought that he might act like this since he hadn't almost since she had first met him when he had arrived in town. But, she realized that she was pushing him now. Damon wouldn't let anyone tell him what to do or believe, even if was her. "Damon, you can't really believe Klaus loves Jeremy. He's using him," she said, pleading with him to agree with her.

Damon rolled his eyes, turning away from her. He had known that he would actually get a headache from this conversation, despite the fact that only witches could them actual migraines. He had never really noticed how self-absorbed Elena was but perhaps that had been wishful thinking or pure ignorance on his part. It seemed so obvious now to him that he wanted to stake himself for his stupidity and his humiliation from when he pursued her so intently.

He had never really liked Elena's little brother but now he found himself actually sympathising with the teenager, something he had thought he would never do when he had first met the boy. But now, he could see that nothing he had experienced in his life time could compare to the torture Elena put her brother through. Not even Stefan deciding for him that he should become a vampire would compare to Jeremy's life with his sister after their parents died in his opinion.

"Elena, I really think you need to really open your eyes and wake up. Your brother, to me, appears to actually be happy for the first time since I met him. I could see that with that girl, Vicki, he was actually just pretending, perhaps even using her as a way to deal with your parents' deaths. Anna, well, she made him happy until he realised she was using him but then he was happy again until she died because of us. Bonnie, I think he was just trying too hard to make you and her happy instead of himself. That's the cruelest way to convince someone they should live," he said, a sneer twisting his lips from his disgust and anger as he realised everything he was saying should have been addressed a long time ago.

Elena immediately shook her head at Damon, unable to believe he was treating her this way. She didn't deserve this from him because of imagined slights to her brother and the act Klaus was going through to get to her. "You compelled him to forget Vicki when you could have said no. You did it for me," she said, her voice steadily rising to a shout.

Damon scoffed. "Can't you see the problem right there in what you were saying? You just said for you. I actually volunteered to compel the kid because I knew the pain and depression he would put himself through wondering where Vicki went and what happened to her," he retorted. When nothing in her expression changed at his words except for her features to twist grotesquely in her anger, he threw up his hands in exasperation.

"I don't even remember what I saw in you. Or maybe I just saw Katherine," he said.

As he said those words, he realised they were the truth. He had never really loved Elena herself. He had just been trying to get her to love him because he wanted to be as close as he could to at least a mirror image of Katherine. Before Elena could say anything else that would just make him want to drain her dry, he turned on his heel and left, slamming the door behind him.

{HC}

Klaus held Jeremy close as Elijah guided the car into the driveway and stopped when they were sitting in front of the front door. He glanced up when he didn't see or hear his brother leave the car and found him twisted around in his seat, his eyes on Jeremy with sympathy in his eyes. He gave him a grateful nod to show his concern was appreciated. He watched as Elijah gave a nod to him in return then turned off the engine of the car, left and went into the house, leaving the front door open for him and Jeremy.

Turning his attention back to Jeremy, he ran his hand through his dark chocolate brown hair to get his mate's attention. He felt small tremors still going through his body but they were better than they had first been. He smiled softly when Jeremy raised his head from his shoulder, ignoring his wolf who whined at the loss in his head.

"Alright, love?" he asked softly, studying his mate's eyes to make sure he was alright.

Jeremy hesitated, not wanting to lie to his mate. He thought about it, doing a mental inventory of himself, to discover that with Klaus's help, he was still a little upset but otherwise fine. He nodded, kissing Klaus on the cheek to show that he wasn't lying even though he knew Klaus would never accuse him of that without concrete evidence. "I will be alright so long as you're here for me," he whispered, knowing Klaus could hear him as clearly as if he were speaking normally.

Klaus smiled softly, feeling a hint of sadness in him at the fact that Jeremy sounded so depressed and yet so happy at the same time. He only hoped that he and Elijah along with Finn if he decided to stay would be enough to keep that light of passion that he loved seeing in Jeremy's eyes whenever he laughed or did something he enjoyed. He put a hand under his chin and tilted his head back a little to get a better look into his mate's eyes. "I will never leave you and neither will Elijah if you say that you need his support," he whispered then twined his hand in the soft dark chocolate hair and kissed the teenager breathless.

Jeremy took in deep gulps of air that he desperately needed thanks to the kiss. He threw his arms around Klaus's neck and buried his face into the junction where the hybrid's neck connected to his shoulder. "Carry me?" he asked in a whisper. When Klaus gave a little shiver, he knew that his hot breath was making Klaus sensitive where it came in contact with his skin.

"You'll have to get out of the car first. I may be a hybrid, love, but there are things that even I can't do," he said, hoping his hint of humour would make Jeremy laugh. He smiled when Jeremy gave the laugh he was hoping for. It may not have been as happy and carefree as it had been a week ago but the laughter was still in his eyes at the same time as it usually was.

Jeremy felt the tension from his argument with his sister leaving him, his shoulders falling back into a relaxed pose and his muscles immediately loosening. He slowly unwound his arms from Klaus's neck, feeling reluctant but knowing that Klaus was right. He reached over and opened the car door, getting out. He stood beside the car, waiting for Klaus because he wasn't sure that he would remain relaxed without Klaus near him.

Klaus got out and the door behind him. He waited until Jeremy was distracted by studying the mansion before he quickly swept him off his feet and into his arms in a bridal hold that he was sure the boy would protest. He laughed in genuine amusement at the shout of surprise Jeremy let out and the little struggle he gave but he knew the struggle was just his mate's way of being playful and showing that he would be fine. He hugged him closer to his body as he walked over the front steps and climbed them.

It was easy for him because of his hybrid strength and the grace and agility he possessed from his mother and father's hard training back in the 10th century. He walked through the front door, kicking it closed behind him. He carried Jeremy all the way to the parlor where he found Elijah sitting on the couch sipping wine. He raised an eyebrow at his brother over Jeremy's head and wasn't at all surprised when Elijah merely shrugged at him and said nothing.

He set Jeremy down on the middle of the couch beside Elijah who moved to the far right on the couch. He sat down on Jeremy's other side which was on the far left side of the couch. It was a soft plushy black leather couch that he had been thinking for a while to replace and, noticing the brief flash of discomfort in Jeremy's eyes, he decided that he would buy a new one soon for he wanted his mate to be as comfortable as he could.

Elijah set his glass of wine down on the coffee table and turned to Jeremy. He glanced briefly at Klaus and knew he would have to tread lightly around the boy unless he wanted Niklaus to tear him to pieces because he upset him. "I know you would most likely never think if this again but I must ask: What are you going to do with your sister?" he asked, keeping an eye on Niklaus.

Jeremy's breath caught in his throat at the question and more specifically his sister's name but he quickly let it out in a gust of air, knowing that it was better for him to talk about it now and not later. He quickly put a hand on Klaus's arm when he heard the low growl escaping his mate's throat to stop him from attacking Elijah. "It's fine, Nik. You know just as much as I do that that question would have been asked that question sooner or later," he whispered.

Klaus gave off one more short growl of anger directed at his brother before he leaned back, wrapping an arm around Jeremy's shoulders and pulling him over to lean into his side. He didn't feel any tension in his mate's body which both pleased and surprised him. It surprised him mostly because he would have thought that bringing the subject again would make him upset like he was in the car after they left his house. He sent a meaningful look at Elijah and was slightly mollified when Elijah nodded to him, understanding that his brother was promising to do his best not to upset Jeremy too much.

Elijah turned his attention back to Jeremy, carefully watching his facial expressions and his eyes to tell when he became upset, if he ever did. "Do you plan to try to convince her that this is the truth and not something dear Niklaus here thought up to get close to her to get her blood," he said. He kept a watchful eye on Klaus as he watched Jeremy at the same time.

Jeremy grabbed Klaus's free hand for added comfort and snuggled up tighter against the hybrid's side. He didn't even have to think about his answer to Elijah's question for it was something he had been thinking about ever since his parents had died. He didn't think of Elena as his sister anymore for his parents would never have approved of how she was acting now.

"From what she said to me earlier, I don't think that I could ever forgive her. I didn't even really forgive her when I found out that she had had Damon compel me to forget about someone I had loved when Damon had turned her into a vampire and she had attacked me. But, because she was still my sister I did forgive her but now I realize that the apology she gave was just as fake as the plants in a dentist's office," he replied, knowing that his comparison was hilarious.

Elijah gave a smile at the comparison as he knew Jeremy had been aiming for and he could see laughter enter his brother's eyes even though he didn't smile. He studying the boy's eyes for a brief second but didn't see anything in them to show that he was upset at all. That surprised him, especially considering the emotional breakdown he had witnessed in the car. He was about to say something when his cell phone rang from the inside pocket of his suit jacket. Sighing mentally, he grabbed the one side of his jacket, pulled it outward and pulled the phone out of the pocket.

He glanced at the screen and raised an eyebrow at the name on the screen. He held it out to Jeremy, tilting his head towards Klaus.

Jeremy nodded, seeing the name on the screen himself as he passed the phone over to Klaus, who smiled at him softly before he let go of his hand and took the phone.

Klaus frowned when he saw Stefan's name flashing on the screen of the phone but he took it from Jeremy and pressed the accept button on the screen, pressing the phone to his ear. "What do you want, Salvatore?" he asked with a slight growl in his voice.

There was a pause on the other side of the phone and sounds as if someone was fumbling with the phone before someone spoke and it wasn't Stefan Salvatore. "Niklaus, I hope you don't intend to leave me with this excuse of a vampire. Even as much as I don't like you, I would prefer your company to that of this…" Finn said, trailing off as if he didn't know an insult good enough to describe Stefan.

Klaus smirked, sending a look at Elijah, who he knew was listening. "He is quite annoying, isn't he?" he asked. He could understand what Finn meant and most likely what he was going through being left alone with the younger vampire. He didn't wait for an answer from his brother, instead just continuing to talk. "You could just bring him here to the mansion. I'll send Elijah to guide you here since you have no idea where it is and I doubt Stefan will help you to find my mansion."

Jeremy glanced between Elijah and Klaus a few times before finally settling on Elijah. "Who is that?" he asked since it was obvious to him that it wasn't Stefan from how Klaus was talking.

Elijah smiled a little at the teenager. "It's Finn. He wants to get as far away from Stefan as he can," he replied.

Jeremy raised an eyebrow and wanted to ask a million questions but instead he turned and snuggled up against Klaus's side, soaking up the hybrid's warmth since he was feeling slightly cold although he wasn't sure if it was actually the temperature in the mansion of just another delayed reaction to his fight with Elena. At any rate, being close to Klaus helped to erase the feeling and make him feel warm and safe.

Klaus glanced down quickly at Jeremy, feeling the tremors that wracked his mate's body that he was obviously oblivious to. "Elijah is on his way to help you Finn. I have to take care of Jeremy right now and I'll explain everything to you when you get here," he said.

"I'll try to wait patiently for him," Finn said then there was the sound of fumbling again before the line disconnected.

Klaus pressed the cancel button on Elijah's cell phone then handed it back to his brother. "Go to the witches' house and help Finn to bring Stefan here. We'll have to figure out a way to keep him restrained while I work on fixing what I did to him but…" he trailed off when he felt Jeremy shiver again, merely sending his brother a significant look.

Elijah nodded, slipping his phone back to where it had been and left, leaving Klaus to take care of Jeremy as he knew his brother had been dying to. He had noticed the tremors running through Jeremy at the same time as Klaus had and he had been just as concerned. He turned his attention back to relieving Finn.

Klaus turned to Jeremy as soon as he was sure Elijah was far enough away from the mansion for his liking. He enveloped his mate in his arms, hugging him close and trying to stop the tremors running through his body. "It's alright, love. I'll make sure no one brings up your sister for a while. It may not be good to put things off but I think for you, talking about it immediately is also not a good idea," he whispered in the boy's ear.

Jeremy stretched his neck up slightly and kissed Klaus on the lips, deeply and with all of his love and passion for the hybrid behind the kiss. He separated after a moment, connecting his gaze directly with that of the hybrid. "I love you," he whispered. "I know you're right and that I've been trying too hard to be strong on my own. I could see even in Elijah that he thought I was trying too hard but I just couldn't help myself. My own sis-cousin has been walking all over me for practically years and I've done nothing about it. I just wanted to show that I could have a backbone, I suppose."

Klaus nodded, understanding what he was saying. "I know love. But you also have to think of whether you're going to have a breakdown afterwards or not," he whispered. He hugged Jeremy closer, carefully watching his hybrid strength to make sure he didn't harm him. "It's time right now for you relax." He released Jeremy and got up, quickly walking over to the small table near the doorway of the living room, opening the drawer and taking out a sketch pad and a box of pencils. He walked back over to the cousin and sat back down, pulling Jeremy close again.

Jeremy took the sketch pad and box of pencils with a small confused frown when Klaus held it out to him but after a short second, he understood what the hybrid wanted. He immediately understood that they both had the same way to get rid of their tension, their sadness, any emotion they were feeling too strongly to let simmer under their skin. He gave Klaus a kiss on the cheek before he took a pencil from the box and put it to paper after opening the sketch pad and finding the first page blank.

Klaus leaned back on the couch with Jeremy pressed tightly against him, watching closely as he sketched. He placed his chin on his shoulder, closing his eyes and relaxing. He didn't open his eyes again until Jeremy nudged him with his elbow in his ribs. He immediately kissed the boy on the cheek then looked down at the sketch pad and laughed immediately at the sight of what his mate had sketched.

On the page was a sketch of Elena and Stefan and all of their features were beautifully sketched but they were also twisted. It was as if Jeremy had excellently switched features from Stefan and placed them on Elena and vice versa. It was a funny sight, especially because the sketch was famous artist quality.

Jeremy leaned forward and threw the box of pencils on the table along with the sketch pad before twisting around in Klaus's arms and immediately kissing him with everything he was feeling at the moment so that Klaus could help him in any way he knew how. He separated for a moment to take in a few breaths before kissing him again; feeling emotionally desperate but that slowly disappeared as he continued to give and take with Klaus. He felt Klaus slide a hand around to rest on the small of his back and leaned into it.

Klaus kissed Jeremy one last time before he used the hand that wasn't on the small of Jeremy's back to gently grasp a handful of the chocolate brown locks and held the boy's head still so he was sure he would listen. He noticed immediately that his mate was listening and let go, running his hand through the chocolate tresses. "Are you sure this is what you want right now? This isn't just a way to cope with everything?" he asked gently, his voice soft and loving, something he himself, let alone his siblings, would have ever thought could come out of his mouth.

Jeremy stopped moving and thought through what he wanted right now and why. He didn't want to hurt Klaus which would be what happened if he decided to use him for emotional comfort and scape goat. He wasn't at all surprised to realize that he genuinely wanted this and he was happy that he wouldn't not make the same decision even if the situation were different.

"I'm not using you, Klaus. After having my own last remaining family do that to me for years, I couldn't even think of doing that to anyone else," he said, kissing Klaus again with as much passion and love behind the kiss as he could. He wanted everything to work out as best as they could with Klaus, he wanted to be happy forever with Klaus for he loved him more than he had ever loved anyone. More than he had loved Vicki, more than Anna, more than Bonnie… even more than his own parents depending on which moments with his parents he was asked about.

Klaus smiled, feeling happier than he ever had. He nudged Jeremy gently to tell him to get Jeremy to stand up then got up after he did. He took a pencil from the box on the table then walked over to the table again after telling Jeremy to stay where he was for a moment, grabbed a note pad from the drawer this time then walked back over to Jeremy. He wrote a short note to Elijah and Finn, telling them briefly and as subtly as he could what he and Jeremy were doing, where they were and what they could do with Stefan unless they had better ideas.

Jeremy waited for Klaus to finish the note and put the pad and pencil down on the coffee table before he took one of his hands and tugged lightly, knowing Klaus would only come on his own and not because someone made him. He was surprised when Klaus followed his tug and wrapped him in his arms then led him out of the living room and back to the entry way where the stairs were. Stopped for a moment, looking up the staircase then he turned to Klaus. "Carry me?" he asked, holding out his arms.

Klaus laughed softly then picked up Jeremy and used his vampire speed to get up the staircase quickly. He placed Jeremy back down on his feet, taking his hand again and led him down the hall to his room, which was at the very end of the hallway with the thickest walls so he could have some peace. He didn't use it very often either since he didn't need much sleep so long as he transformed into his wolf every once in a while.

Jeremy reached out and opened the door after a gentle nod from Klaus. He gazed around at Klaus's room in amazement. In the middle of the room stood a four-poster bed with a beautiful green canopy, a green that reminded him of Slytherin green from Harry Potter especially since it had shiny silver running through the green. There were intricate pillows arranged at the head of the bed. They looked like the Persian rug that covered the entire floor of the room, that's how beautiful they were.

The silver duvet Jeremy could tell was soft and comfortable just by looking at it from where he stood in the doorway. He turned his attention away from the bed and glanced around. There was a wonderful desk in the far right corner that he could tell was real wood and not clapboard or something just as cheap, it had Victorian style carvings in the wood from what he could tell. The walls were a dark smoky gray with white cherry blossom trees painted on them. He wasn't surprised since Klaus had just as big of a passion for art as he did.

He decided to stop looking over the room when he felt Klaus place a hand on his shoulder and sneak it under his shirt. He turned and wrapped his arms around Klaus's neck. "Make love to me, Klaus. That's all I want from you besides yourself and all of your love," he whispered, his lips close to Klaus's ear.

Klaus kissed Jeremy roughly and passionately and as his mate was distracted, he slipped the T-shirt off of his mate, slowly backing him up until he saw the back of Jeremy's jean clad legs bump into the bed. "Are you completely sure about this?" he asked for the last time, wanting to make sure Jeremy really did want this.

Jeremy stopped trying to kiss Klaus when he saw the serious light in the hybrid's eyes. "Of course, Klaus. Why, what aren't you telling me about this?" he asked. He could sense that Klaus was keeping something from him, something that was the reason why Klaus kept asking the same question; whether he was sure he wanted Klaus to make love to him.

Klaus sighed. He had hoped to not have to go through this at all with Jeremy but he had known as soon as he had asked for the second time that he would to explain. "Once we do this, there's no going back. We'll be mated and if either of us falls in love with another, the mate bond will be broken and we'll both die from the backlash of the bond breaking. The only way either of us could fall in love with another is if we never loved the other. I don't want that to happen to us, love," he whispered, lovingly caressingly the skin of the small of Jeremy's back.

Jeremy rose onto his tiptoes and kissed Klaus. "I will never love anyone else but you, Klaus. I can only imagine a future with you. When I picture my future, a happy one, I see you there, loving me and supporting me. I can't see myself with anyone else to the degree that I see myself with you," he said, meaning every word he said. "I want to be with you for the rest of my life and I would actually be willing to turn to be with you forever."

Klaus sighed softly in relief. He hadn't been worried about Jeremy's love for him, for he knew it to be genuine and as strong as anyone could love someone but he hadn't been sure whether he would really want to be with him forever, but Jeremy had gotten right to the point of his fears and settled them by simply stating what Klaus needed to hear and meaning it.

"Now make love to me, Klaus. If I have to wait any longer for you to act, I might actually find someone else," Jeremy said jokingly, hoping to jolt Klaus into acting.

He hadn't anticipated Klaus's reaction. A playful snarl came from the hybrid then he suddenly found his pants and boxers gone, leaving him completely naked. He suddenly found himself falling onto the bed a split second later. He was barely by himself on the bed for a second before Klaus was straddling his hips, just as naked as him, after adjusting him to be more comfortable, his head on the pillows and stretched out with a lot of room to move.

"Oh, I'll make love to you, Jer. No one will ever be able to compare if you even dare to go to someone else afterwards," Klaus whispered, his voice suddenly husky and rough with passion.


	12. The Mating Bond

"Do you really think this will hold him?" Finn asked of Elijah who stood beside him, staring at Stefan who was chained to the wall in a small room his younger brother clearly had not known about that branched away from the living room. He wasn't sure about the chains for he was certain he could break them without any effort at all.

Elijah turned his attention to the chains for a moment before he nodded and turned back to Finn. "I recognize those chains. Klaus had those spelled by a witch to be inescapable. I have no idea why he kept those around but at least they are useful," he said. He glanced down at the note in his hand, written in Niklaus's perfect calligraphy.

Finn moved closer to Elijah, completely ignoring Stefan now, and looked over his shoulder at the note. He raised an eyebrow when he got to the part where Klaus stated what he was doing. "It's obvious the boy, Jeremy, didn't know what our dear brother was writing, isn't it?" he asked.

Elijah turned his head around and laughed slightly. "It is. Jeremy certainly isn't the type to be as blunt and to the point as Klaus. He also doesn't strike me as someone who would broadcast plainly that they're going to the bedroom with the one they love," he said. He laughed again when Finn's face twisted slightly at his words. Finn still lived in the past, which he couldn't blame him for since Klaus had daggered him over 900 years ago and kept him locked in that coffin.

Finn didn't what to say in response to his brother's words for this world was different from what he had last known. From what he remembered, no one spoke like Elijah and Klaus and definitely Stefan who had been swearing and cursing at him along with describing things he wanted to do to Klaus and Jeremy before he had compelled the younger vampire to teach him how to use the phone to call his brother. He glanced up at the ceiling but he couldn't hear anything which he was grateful for. Not for himself but for Jeremy since he would hate to see the boy embarrassed.

Something puzzled him however. Stefan had been speaking of a sister to the boy, and he hadn't seen her at all. "The vampire in there mentioned a sister for Jeremy…" he said, following his brother as Elijah walked out of the room then closed the double wooden doors.

Elijah nodded, having thought that Finn might ask about that ever since he had arrived at the old witches' house in the woods. His older brother cared for Jeremy more than he had ever thought possible since Finn hadn't ever really shown that he had cared about humans or anyone period besides them and Sage, the one woman he had fallen and stayed in love with.

"That would be Elena, Niklaus's Petrova Doppelganger. As you can probably assume from what little you have found out, she and Klaus aren't on very good terms from his hybrid ritual," he said, guiding his brother to the couch and sitting down, motioning for Finn to do the same. He waited for Finn to sit down beside him before he continued to speak. "Klaus hasn't touched Jeremy from what I understand but everything that he has done to Elena and the Salvatore brothers, even the witch, Bonnie I believe her name was has made Elena hate Klaus and want him dead."

Finn grimaced at that. He could understand where Elena and the others could hate Klaus but he himself didn't really want Klaus dead, despite what his brother had done to him. He flicked an annoyed glance back at where they had left Stefan when he heard a lot of rattling chains. He brought his hands up to his temples and used his fingers to rub circles there. "I need peace and quiet. I can't handle all the sounds of this… 21st century world. I preferred it back in the 11th century," he said.

Elijah placed a hand on Finn's arm then stood up from the couch. "There are empty bedrooms upstairs, from what I understand from Niklaus. He informed me that they are sound proofed so you won't hear anything unless you leave the door open or the window," he said.

Finn glanced up at the ceiling again then stood up as well. "I believe I will take you up on that bedroom. Despite not being tired, it would be a relief to lie down without any notice at all to bother my ears. I don't… I think it might be impossible for me to get used to all of these noises," he said, hating this modern world but yet at the same time loving it for he wanted to be with his family and he really wanted to get to know Jeremy for he thought the boy would be a great friend.

Elijah led the way to the staircase then up to the second floor. He turned to Finn when he finally reached the top. "Niklaus's room is at the very end and I would recommend taking a room far away despite the sound proofing," he said a wry twist to his lips as he spoke.

Finn laughed, feeling like his family was returning even if it was just him and Elijah at the moment. "I'll take the room right here," he said, motioning to the room on the right of the hall not too far from the staircase. He wanted to be as far as possible from Klaus's room, not to give his brother privacy but more for Jeremy's sake. The boy had clearly been afraid of him when he had taken the dagger out of him but he had stayed brave, only leaning on Klaus for support the barest amount.

Elijah nodded, having anticipated that. "Rebekah's room is the one in the middle, the last on the left side of the hall. Mine is diagonally across from you, so that leaves Kol to take the room right between you and Klaus, should Klaus decide to actually take the dagger out of him," he informed Finn.

Finn raised an eyebrow and glanced down the hall towards the one Elijah had indicated was Rebekah's. "I haven't seen Rebekah and usually by now we would have. As a matter of fact, there would probably be an angry Klaus yelling at her," he said, turning his attention back on Elijah completely.

Elijah sighed and backed up until his back was against the wall then slid down to sit on the floor. He waited before speaking until Finn did the same right beside the room he had chosen. "Elena and the Salvatores had Mikael, who they wanted to kill Klaus barely a month or a little more ago. They had Rebekah to help them learn things about Niklaus then Elena daggered Rebekah in the back. I don't know where she is now, they have not bothered to tell Niklaus," he responded.

Finn nodded. The more that he heard about Elena and the Salvatore brothers, the more that he did not like them at all. Elena sounded like the complete opposite of Jeremy which automatically made her someone he would never like. Seeing as Jeremy was the least selfish person he had ever met, that made Elena the most selfish person. He knew he hadn't met her yet but even Klaus trusted his judgement of people just from what he was told.

Elijah glanced down the hall towards Klaus's room before he looked back at Finn. "You mind if I stay with you in your room for the moment? I don't want to embarrass Jeremy when Klaus finishes with him," he said.

Finn laughed, standing up and opening the door to his room. "Sure, Elijah. I don't mind since I think Jeremy would be very grateful that we thought about his dignity and potential mortification," he said, leading the way into his room before closing the door behind his brother.

{HC}

Jeremy moaned, unable to help himself as Klaus kissed down his throat all the way to his collarbone. He felt like there was a fire igniting under his skin everywhere Klaus kissed him. "Klaus…" he said softly bordering on a whine. Klaus had been kissing him everywhere on his body above his waist for what felt like hours now. He couldn't take this extremely slow pace anymore and wanted Klaus to speed it up.

Klaus gave a husky laugh at the near whine from his mate. He had been purposefully torturing Jeremy to see what he would do and it pleased him to hear the plea from the teenager beneath him. "Patience, Jeremy," he whispered, slowly moving back up so that he could whispered it in the boy's ear. "Good things come to those who wait."

Jeremy tried not to show that he was enjoying what Klaus was doing with his roaming right hand but he was having difficulty since it just felt so good. He moaned involuntarily when the roaming right hand tweaked his right nipple. "I am patient but you're doing everything to make me go past my patience," he said, the desire and lust hidden in his voice as he spoke.

Klaus kissed Jeremy passionately on the lips before he decided that he should give his mate some relief from the torture he was putting him through. He sat up, careful to keep his full weight off his gorgeous mate. Jeremy's skin was glistening with sweat from the pleasure he had been giving him for the past 10 minutes. "If you insist," he said his voice passionate and husky still.

Jeremy groaned when Klaus leaned back down and bit him gently on his neck at his sweet spot with his blunt human teeth. He felt a slight prickling of nerves at the back of his mind but he pushed that away because he trusted Klaus to be kind and gentle with him, comforting him and telling him what he was doing and warning him whether what he was doing would hurt or not.

Klaus kissed Jeremy, using that distraction to reach over to the bedside table, open the drawer and take out the lube he had there. He placed it on the bed beside him and Jeremy for easy access but he made sure that Jeremy couldn't see what he was doing. He knew that if he did then he would become nervous and start having second thoughts even if they were easily put at ease. He just wanted this to go smoothly without any hesitation from either of them.

Jeremy reached up and gently grasped a handful of Klaus's soft blond hair and pulled his head down, kissing him roughly. He wrapped his other arm around Klaus's neck to pull him down to have him pressed against him. He felt Klaus's hand make its way down his body until it got to his waist. His breath hitched with sudden nerves despite having done something like this before with Klaus. This was just a pretty big jump from what he had already done.

Klaus could immediately tell when Jeremy became uncertain and went to work soothing him. He brought his hand back up to rub soothing circles on the smooth tan stomach. "Calm down Jeremy. If you want to go slower just say so. I won't just go at my pace because I want it. I want you to want the same thing that I do and vice versa," he said.

Jeremy let out a short breath and he could feel all of the hesitation he had leave him along with the breath. "I'm sorry, Klaus. I want this just as much, if not more than you," he whispered. He encouraged his hybrid to press closer against him, soaking up his warmth.

Klaus nodded, not saying anything, instead running his hand slowly back down Jeremy's body until his hand met the base of Jeremy's member. He ran it down the boy's member, feeling it harden and swell in his hand. He swallowed the ensuing moan that fell from Jeremy's lips with a deep, rough kiss. He curled his hand around the member, stroking it to full life. He felt tremors run through Jeremy's body but he knew they were from pleasure and desire this time instead of a sudden hit of delayed negative emotions. He brought Jeremy close to climax before squeezing the base to stop it before it happened.

Jeremy groaned when Klaus denied him his climax. He hated him for that but then Klaus leaned down and bit and pulled gently at his nipples, igniting a pit of fire in his stomach. He gasped with pleasure at that, his resentment at Klaus disappearing immediately. He brought his hands down to fist the sheets at his sides, unsure what else to do at that moment. His left hand brushed something on the bed but he disregarded it, trusting that if it was something he needed to know about Klaus would tell him about it when or if he needed to.

Klaus stopped what he was doing and took a moment to think about what to do next. Making a decision, he brought his lips up next to Jeremy's ear. "I'm going to do something. It might feel a little uncomfortable or it might be the best thing you've ever felt. Tell me if you want me to stop or if you want me to keep going, alright?" he whispered.

Jeremy nodded jerkily, wanting anything and everything Klaus could give him. At this moment, he wouldn't care what Klaus did so long as it made him feel as good as everything else had. He watched as Klaus moved down his body until he was sitting above his knees. He frowned in confusion, trying to understand what the hybrid had in mind. He would go along with it no matter what but the curiosity was just eating away at him.

Klaus smiled slightly to himself when he noticed the confusion in his mate's eyes, mixed in with the desire and lust he saw burning there, waiting to be unleashed. He brought his head down to Jeremy's hole then licked around it. He felt Jeremy jump slightly at the contact and placed a warm, comforting hand on his hip, using the other for balance on the bed. "Alright?" he asked in a whisper, raising his head to look him in the eyes.

Jeremy blinked the sweat out of his eyes before nodding, giving Klaus a loving smile. "It's alright, Nik. I was just startled since that's not exactly a common place to umm…" he trailed off, blushing. He wasn't embarrassed at what Klaus was doing but he wasn't sure how to phrase it without making his face an even brighter red.

Klaus came up and gave Jeremy a rough kiss before he went back down Jeremy's body. He licked around the pink hold again for a few seconds then he placed a hand on the boy's hip to hold him gently in place before he pressed his tongue to the ring of muscle, breaching it. He gently pushed his tongue inside the hole, feeling the ring of muscle contract around his tongue for a few moments before it relaxed, allowing his tongue inside.

Jeremy moaned deeply, feeling Klaus massaging the inside of his hole with his tongue. He knew in some distant part of his brain that this was called rimming but all of his thinking abilities completely abandoned him at the pleasure that rushed through his body. His member began to weep precome and he felt as if he was going to climax. Just as he thought he was going to come, Klaus shifted his hand holding him down to his member and squeezed the base again, stopping him. He sobbed in frustration but the only reaction he got from Klaus was a husky chuckle of amusement. "Klaus, please! I don't know if I can take anymore!" he exclaimed.

Klaus ignored Jeremy, instead admiring his beauty, laid out wanton and panting with desire at what he was doing. He went back to his task with the goal of stretching Jeremy a little before he went to the actual goal of everything. He searching for his mate's sweet spot with his tongue, finding it and pressing on it as hard he could.

Jeremy shouted yelped in pleasure, panting and wondering what the hell Klaus had pressed inside of him that ignited a whole new fire within him. He panted with lust and arousal as Klaus continuously pressed on that spot inside of him with his tongue, massaging his inner walls at times. After a few moments, he couldn't take it anymore and untangled a hand from fisting the sheets, using it to grasp a handful of dirty blonde hair and gently pulling Klaus up.

The hybrid let Jeremy pull him away, gently withdrawing his tongue from the twitching hole and shifting up Jeremy's body a little. He settled down a little more firmly on top of Jeremy, reaching up to untangle the tanned hand from his hair. He took both of his mate's arms by the wrists and pressed them down at his sides on the mattress, holding them there. "Keep your hands there, Jer, and I promise that I'll do everything to make this as comfortable for you as I can. Just tell me if you want me to stop or go slower," he whispered heatedly. "It will hurt at first but I promise with all of my heart that it feel really good really soon."

He waited for Jeremy's nod before he grabbed the bottle of lube he had placed on the bed beside the both of them. He opened it and squeezed a little onto his fingers, depositing it back on the bed. He brought his lubed fingers to the opening, rubbing his index finger around it before gently pushing it inside. The ring of muscle immediately contracted around his finger, trying to push it out.

Jeremy gasped in pain and his breathing quickened. Klaus was right when he said that it would hurt but he hadn't thought that it would hurt this much. He didn't see how this would get better but he grasped on to that hope, that pleasure that should be right behind the pain he was feeling right now.

Klaus looked up into Jeremy's eyes, not moving his finger. "You good?" he asked in a whisper. When Jeremy nodded, he sighed in relief. He placed his other hand on the muscled stomach. "Relax. Let me in and it won't hurt as much."

Jeremy released the breath he hadn't even been aware he was holding and concentrated on relaxing, on his love for Klaus. Surprisingly, it worked and the finger slipped deeper into him. A rush of pleasure jolted up his spine, chasing away the pain he had first felt.

Pushing the finger in and out, Klaus concentrated on making stretching his mate open and preparing him for the completion of their bond. He pushed a second finger in after a moment, immediately searching for the sweet spot again. When his mate writhed underneath him and screamed in pleasure, he knew he had found and continued to press it as he moved the two fingers in and out of the opening. The silken walls contracted around his fingers but he ignored that and concentrated on pleasuring Jeremy, not wanting him to feel any further pain.

Scissoring his fingers, he stretched the opening, not surprised when the teenager's only reaction was to writhe again. He pushed the two fingers in and rhythmically, scissoring them periodically. This was slightly new to him for he wasn't used to virgins, usually preferring partners with a little experience but this was his mate and he put every ounce of experience he had got over the past few centuries to make sure his mate was feeling as little pain as possible and as much pleasure.

"More, Klaus. I need it," Jeremy pleaded, his breath coming out in pants. His body glistened with sweat and he writhed in pleasure, trying to push his hips further onto the fingers but Klaus moved his hand form his stomach to his hip and held him down gently but firmly. He was enjoying every moment of this and he felt no pain at all anymore. He yelped when he felt a third finger slipped into his opening, feeling another jolt of pain, thankfully dulled by pleasure.

Klaus used a finger of his hand on Jeremy's hip to rub soothing circles. He stopped moving his fingers, waiting for signs that the pain had been chased away. When he saw the tense lines on the boy's forehead ease and disappear, he knew that it was safe to move his fingers again. He pushed them in again, scissoring them to stretch the opening.

Jeremy swallowed, looking down and catching sight of Klaus's member. He knew that the three fingers were nowhere near the size of his mate's member but he relaxed himself, knowing that if he were tense then it would just bring unnecessary pain. "Klaus?" he asked, hating himself for the fact that his voice trembled as he spoke.

Klaus looked up and locked eyes with him. "Just try to stay relaxed. We're almost there. One more finger then we'll be close," he said soothingly. "Just keep your eyes on me and concentrate on my love for you, on our bond." He waited for the nod then inserted the fourth and final finger into the opening. Normally, he would only use three fingers before he entered his partner but he knew that Jeremy, as a virgin with men, would need the extra finger and stretch.

Scissoring and pushing his four fingers in and out, he did that for a few moments while keeping his eyes locked with the beautiful brown of his mate's. After a little while, he felt Jeremy place a hand on his arm and he raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I'm ready Klaus. There's nothing much else that can be done to help, even I know that," Jeremy whispered.

"Alright," Klaus said. He scissored his four fingers one last time before withdrawing them from the opening, smirking slightly at the whine Jeremy let out at the loss. He shifted to sit between the lean tan legs, nudging them apart with his knees to sit comfortably. He grabbed one leg and threw it over his shoulder, grasping one of Jeremy's hands while he used the other to take his member and guide it to the stretched opening.

"Deep breath in and make sure to stay relaxed."

Jeremy was thankful for the coaching and he took the deep breath in, concentrating on keeping all of his muscles relaxed to let Klaus in. He felt the hot member enter his opening and he let his deep breath out at the same time, instinctively knowing that that would help to ease the accompanying pain of entry.

Klaus was shocked at the fact that Jeremy had instincts of what to do for he had never seen or heard of that before but he shook his head and continued on. He continued pushing into the warm, silken cavern until he was seated as far as he could go, his balls slapping against Jeremy's flesh. He paused for a moment to allow Jeremy to adjust to having him inside.

His mate didn't need as much time to adjust as he thought he might for the nod from Jeremy came within moments.

Jeremy threw his head back in pleasure as Klaus pulled out then pushed back in quickly. He moaned at the feeling, bringing his arms up and wrapping them around Klaus's neck. He raked his nails down the hybrid's back as he began to move quicker, practically slamming into him now and hitting his prostate with each thrust. He panted with the pleasure he felt and felt his climax approaching again. He swore to himself that if his mate dared to stop him from coming this time he was never going to have sex with him ever again in his life.

Klaus was ramming into the silken cavern, somehow still making sure to be gentle and not tear Jeremy at all. He felt his wolf howl in his mind and his own climax approaching. There was no way he would deny Jeremy for he wouldn't be able to last much longer either. He leaned down, kissing Jeremy roughly.

Jeremy cried out in pure pleasure as he finally came, his come shooting over his stomach and a little on Klaus. At the same time as he felt Klaus come, fire shooting inside him, he felt Klaus sink fangs into the junction where his neck met his shoulder, drinking from him. It didn't bother him at all; as a matter of fact it felt right. When a bleeding wrist was placed at his mouth he brought his hands up and grabbed it, pressing it to his mouth and taking a few mouthfuls of blood.

The both of them felt something snap into place as they both finished their climax and drank a little of the other's blood.

Jeremy slowly came back to himself, releasing Klaus's arm and allowing his arms to just fall to his sides on the bed, unable to hold them up any longer. He panted a little to get some breath back before finally looking back up at Klaus who looked perfectly fine and there was laughter in the hybrid's eyes. He weakly pushed him in the shoulder for that.

Klaus bore the punch with the utmost of seriousness before he chuckled a little a few moments later. He gently pulled out of his mate, stretching up a little to lick his bite mark on Jeremy's neck, healing it so that the only thing left was a very small scar to show his claim on the teenager. He rolled off of him to lie beside him, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him up against his side. "Happy, love?" he asked in a loving whisper against his neck.

Jeremy shivered at the warm breath against his neck. "Happier than I ever have been in my life," he whispered back. He snuggled up as close as possible against his mate, feeling the bond he now had with him hum in contentment. His eyes slid to almost closed, feeling tired.

Klaus smirked mischievously, twisting slightly to kiss down Jeremy's throat. He laughed when the boy's tired brown eyes popped back open and he batted him away tiredly with his hands. "Tired, love?" he asked.

Jeremy nodded, placing his head on Klaus's shoulder and allowing his eyes to slip closed. He leaned his head into the hand Klaus ran through his hair, humming in approval.

"Go to sleep, love," Klaus whispered, allowing his own eyes to slide closed and slipping the dark of sleep with his mate.

{HC}

"Do you think they know they were loud enough that we heard them even with the sound proofing?" Finn asked of Elijah who sat at the desk pushed up against the wall that was separating the room from Klaus's. Finn himself sat on the bed facing Elijah and they had been doing the best to ignore the sounds coming from Niklaus's room.

Elijah laughed at the question. "I doubt that very much. Klaus isn't the type to care and Jeremy was most likely busy with other things to care. He probably didn't want to think about it either," he replied.

Finn rolled his eyes. "Klaus can be just as bad as Kol, despite the fact that those two say that they hate each other," he commented.

Elijah nodded. "Speaking of Kol, would you want to wake him up?" he asked, watching his brother closely. He missed his youngest brother, no matter how annoying he could be.

Finn thought about that for a bit before he answered. "As much as Kol tries to drive us crazy, I do miss him," he said. "However that would depend on whether Klaus would be willing. You know that as soon as Kol discovers that Jeremy is his mate, he will try to woo him away from Klaus."

Elijah rolled his eyes for that was the complete truth. Kol tried to do everything to provoke Klaus even when he knew that he was pushing too far. "I doubt Jeremy would actually fall for him but it would push Klaus into daggering him again unless Jeremy distracted him each and every time," he said.

There was silence for a moment and they were thankful to hear blessed silence from Klaus's room. Finn broke the silence after a moment.

"I believe that Jeremy is the perfect match for our dear wild Niklaus. He doesn't tame him but he does calm him down," he said.

Elijah nodded thoughtfully. He knew it to be the truth and he could tell just by watching the two of them together. The mere fact alone that Klaus showed any hint of positive emotion in front of anyone when with Jeremy was proof alone. The fact that he had allowed Jeremy to take the dagger out of Finn, trusting him like he had, was another. The last proof that anyone who had known Klaus before he met Jeremy would be able to see was the fact that Stefan and Elena were still alive and not torn into pieces by Klaus's wolf. Before, if either of them had dared to insult Klaus or one of them there wouldn't be any way to tell they had ever existed.

He gasped slightly as he suddenly felt warmth, a fire in his heart, the heart that didn't beat since for all intent and purposes, he and his siblings were dead. He looked up at Finn to see the same surprise and confusion in his eyes.

"Jeremy and Niklaus," Finn whispered in amazement, able to feel his hybrid brother and the only human he actually liked. It was only a faint resonance of what they were feeling. Their love for each other, their contentment and the all-around pleasure filled his heart and his consciousness.

Elijah nodded, feeling just as amazed as his brother. He had known that the mating bond would have effects but he had had no idea that they would apply to he and Finn along with the others should they be aware as they were.

"Unbelievable. We need to tell Niklaus and Jeremy," Finn said, seeing the agreement in Elijah's eyes but also the resolve to allow the two some rest and time together first.


	13. To Be a Vampire or Not To Be?

Jeremy moaned as slowly clawed his way to consciousness to the feeling of lips trailing down the column of his throat. He arched his neck into the feeling and slowly dragged his eyelids open. He smiled softly when his eyes immediately made contact with the cool blue of Klaus's eyes. He lifted a hand up from the bed and Klaus immediately twined his fingers with his. "Morning," he whispered hoarsely, his voice still rough from sleep.

Klaus stopped kissing Jeremy's neck and settled back on his side on the bed, pressed up against his mate. "Good morning, love," he returned softly. He had been awake for a few hours now, having only needed the three hours of sleep he had managed. He tugged Jeremy closer right up against him, feeling his bond flare with happiness from Jeremy.

Jeremy blinked when he felt contentment that wasn't his own and glanced at Klaus to ask him about it but when he saw the look on his face and in his blue eyes, he knew immediately that it was from him through the bond they now shared. "Do you think Finn and Elijah managed to take of Stefan?" he asked in a whisper, pressing his face into Klaus's shoulder and breathing in his scent.

Klaus laughed softly. "Trust me when I say they would be offended if they heard you ask me that," he said. He threw a leg over Jeremy's slowly, giving the boy time to pull away should he choose that he wanted to. But Jeremy didn't move, if anything he encouraged the movement. "I hope you're not bashful, by the way, love. I may have made these walls sound proof when I had this house built but I heard Elijah and Finn talking when I woke up and what they were talking about, well…"

Jeremy felt his face heat up, knowing he was blushing. The mere thought of Finn and Elijah having heard them last night didn't embarrass him but it did make him feel uncomfortable. He could tell Klaus felt it through their bond for the hybrid pressed a kiss softly to his lips and played with his fingers soothingly. "I'm not bashful. It's just, it was something private between the two of us. It doesn't feel right that they could hear us," he said, feeling nervous of Klaus's reaction.

But he needn't have worried for his mate only nodded and gave him a loving smile. "I felt the same however if you want to stay here in Mystic Falls and want them to stay, you'll need to get used to it. My siblings and I don't really know the meaning of privacy. We were raised back in a time when it didn't really exist," Klaus said.

Jeremy smiled into Klaus's neck, having pressed back against him. As he felt Klaus continue to play with his fingers in the silence, he suddenly realized that his ring was missing. He pulled away and sat up, holding his hands out in front of him and seeing that his ring was gone. He was about to panic but Klaus gently took his right hand and pressed something into his palm, curling his fingers around it. He glanced at him but Klaus only gave him a smile and nodded towards his hand.

He glanced back down at his hand, opening his fingers and sighing in relief at the sight of the Gilbert ring lying there. He turned it around in his hand and he caught sight of something etched inside the band of the ring when the sunlight filtering through the window caught the silver band. He turned it so he could what was etched there and blinked in surprise. Forever and always was etched in beautiful cursive inside the band of the ring. He looked up and around at Klaus. "You did this?" he asked, feeling a rush of love for him.

Klaus nodded and scooted over so he was sitting behind Jeremy, wrapping his arms around his waist. "I had a friend do it while you were sleeping. I wanted it to be a surprise. Just don't let Elijah, Finn or any of my other siblings see it. It's… well it's something I always said to them about our family and a lot of the time, I never really meant it," he said, feeling a wave of shame wash over him. It disappeared when Jeremy wriggled around in his arms to sit facing him and kissed him to get his focus away from those thoughts.

Klaus relaxed into the kiss, pulling Jeremy up against his chest to deepen it. He pressed his tongue to Jeremy's lips lip, asking for permission. He slipped it inside when Jeremy parted his lips in the kiss, allowing him entrance.

Jeremy moaned into the kiss as Klaus quickly took dominance of the kiss and mapped the cavern of his mouth with his tongue. A little voice in the back of his head whispered that Klaus was trying to distract him but he pushed it away for the kiss felt too good to care about anything else. Leaning into Klaus, he wrapped brought his arms around his waist for support so he didn't lose his balance on the bed.

Klaus broke the kiss when he figured that Jeremy would need to breathe. He held him for a moment before he sighed and pushed away a little from the boy, giving them some space to move. "It's best we get up. I heard Elijah and Finn talking about something they wanted to tell us before I fell asleep earlier but they haven't spoken about it again, at least not while I've been awake," he said.

Jeremy nodded and watched Klaus get up from the bed. He didn't feel like getting up, his limbs still feeling tired from the bonding. He reached up to his neck when he remembered that Klaus had bitten him last night but there was only the feeling of a small scar there, not the large and messy bite mark Katherine had left. Of course, she had been trying to tear his throat out at the time so that wasn't a very good comparison.

He blinked when he saw the hand Klaus held out to him, confused for a moment before he took it and allowed Klaus to help him stand up. He reached down and grabbed Klaus's boxers, throwing them at the hybrid's face and laughing when Klaus grabbed them and took them off his face, revealing the mock outraged look. He ran around the bed away from him to stop him from attacking him even though he knew it wouldn't actually stop him if he really wanted to.

Klaus grabbed Jeremy's jeans and boxers that he found nearby on the floor and threw them at the boy, laughing when he ducked to avoid them. He sped over and grabbed him around the waist, lifting him up and throwing him on the bed and throwing the clothes after him.

Jeremy caught the clothes this time and rolled off the bed. He pulled on the boxers then his jeans, jumping in surprise when hands reached around him and did up the button also zipping the zipper. "Don't scare me like that, Klaus," he said, turning around and doing the same for Klaus, although he hadn't seen him find and pull on his own jeans. He pulled away to look for his shirt but he didn't see it anywhere. He turned his attention back at Klaus when he tugged him towards him and kissed him again.

He brought his hands up and pushed at Klaus's chest, breaking the kiss. He laughed a little, leaving one hand on his mate's chest. "I thought we were supposed to get dressed and go talk to your brothers?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at him. He didn't resist though when Klaus pulled him back to him, proving there was no real heat in his words.

"Hmmm, I did say that. But we can have some fun before we do that," Klaus said, leaning his head down to nibble at Jeremy's throat. The huffed a small laugh when he felt a shiver go through his mate's body and the tan muscled body arched into the caresses. A low moan escaped the lush pink lips and he swallowed the next moan with a rough kiss. He reached a hand down; unbuttoning the jeans he had just buttoned and reached his hand inside, grabbing the limp member and stroking to bring it to life.

Jeremy gasped in surprise at the grasp on his member, having been distracted by the rough kisses that were being repeatedly pressed to his lips. He moaned when Klaus wrapped his hand around his member then began moving it, pumping his member and bringing it to life. He panted, leaning forward to rest his head on Klaus's shoulder, his warm breath making contact with the hybrid's collarbone.

Klaus brought his free hand up to the back of Jeremy's neck, holding it there comfortingly and supportively. He continued to pump Jeremy's member, stopping briefly when it was fully erect, purple and swollen, weeping pre come. He gave a soft kiss at Jeremy's frustrated moan but he didn't keep his mate frustrated for long. He only paused for a few more moments before he went back to bringing Jeremy to his climax.

It didn't much longer for Jeremy to reach his climax, spilling over Klaus's fingers even though Klaus didn't seem to care all that much, merely bringing his fingers up to Jeremy's mouth. Jeremy stared at contemplatively for a second then took them in his mouth as Klaus fastened the button his jeans again. He swirled his tongue around Klaus's fingers, tasting the bitter sweet taste of his own come. He continued making some of the same movements Klaus had just made except he was using his tongue on Klaus's fingers.

Klaus took his fingers out of Jeremy's mouth when he felt they were clean. He trailed his hand up from the back of his mate's neck to grab a small handful of chocolate tresses and tilted his head up slightly, mashing his lips onto Jeremy's. He broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against Jeremy's, just staring into the brown eyes while Jeremy stared into his blue. "I suppose we better get to Elijah and Finn before they come barging in here, shouldn't we love?" he asked in a low voice.

Sighing in disappointment, Jeremy nodded and pulled away to look around for his shirt again. After a moment, he gave up and turned back to Klaus. "Do you know where my shirt went, Nik?" he asked.

Klaus motioned Jeremy over to him and placed his hands on his hips when he stood in front of him. "I had to throw it in the wash, love. It smelled," he responded, smirking at his mate.

Jeremy threw a weak punch at Klaus's upper arm. "It stank? Like what me?" he asked jokingly.

Klaus shook his head, suddenly becoming serious. "No. It smelled overwhelmingly like the Salvatores and Elena. Elijah and Finn's scents were also on there but they didn't bother me all that much," he capitulated at the stern expression he was given by his mate.

He may have been the dominant in their relationship but there were certain subjects and certain times when he knew his only option was to concede the victory to Jeremy and this was definitely one of them.

Jeremy laughed softly at the admission. "You couldn't stand anyone else's scent on my clothes?" he asked, to tease his hybrid and for confirmation.

Klaus growled playfully at the teasing. He brought his head down and bit Jeremy in the same place as when he completed the mating bond causing Jeremy to moan and sag into his grip. He tightened his hold on Jeremy's hips to make sure he didn't fall down. He drank a few mouthfuls of blood before he pulled away, licking at the wound to make sure it was clean and wouldn't get an infection. He bit into his own wrist and offered it to him.

Jeremy grabbed Klaus's arm with both hands and drank only one mouthful of blood before he pulled away, licking his lips clean. He could actually feel the new bite mark on his neck closing, which was a little weird and yet arousing. "Shirt, Nik, please," he said, his voice slightly weak from the minor loss of blood. He was slowly gaining the little strength he had lost because of the dose of Klaus's blood and he took one step back from Klaus when he felt steady enough to stand on his own.

"Dresser, over by the desk love," Klaus responded, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Jeremy gave him a kiss in thanks then walked over to the mahogany dresser. He glanced back at Klaus over his shoulder with his hand on the handle of the top drawer and raised an eyebrow. He moved his hand down to the second drawer when Klaus shook his head. He opened that drawer when Klaus nodded and found an array of varying shirts, both T-shirts and long sleeved shirts.

He grabbed a black tank top he found in the drawer then a black button up shirt with sleeves that came to his elbows. He threw them both on and was only slightly surprised that they fit perfectly. The tank top was snug, not too tight and not too loose. The button up shirt wasn't something he would normally wear. It had a small breast pocket on the right side and straps on the shoulders that buttoned up and only served a decorative purposed. The collar was like that of a dress shirt but it wasn't as uncomfortable as that on a dress shirt.

He leaned into Klaus when he felt him step up behind him and place an arm around his waist. "Aren't you going to put a shirt on?" he asked, tilting his head back to raise an eyebrow at the man. "I mean I might like to stare at you but I don't Elijah or Finn would really care to."

Klaus rolled his eyes and reached over Jeremy to grab a white tank top from the drawer and another button up shirt that was similar to the one Jeremy had put on and left unbuttoned. The only difference on his was that the buttons were a dulled gold while the buttons on Jeremy's were just as black as the rest of the shirt. He left his unbuttoned as well, straightening up and letting go of Jeremy.

"Off to take care of the annoying siblings, then?" Jeremy asked.

Klaus nodded and led the way out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him with a soft click. He put his arm back around Jeremy's waist and led him to the room right at the top of the stairs and the very first on the right side of the hall.

Jeremy stopped when Klaus did and looked at him. "How do you know that this is Elijah's or Finn's room?" he asked, curious.

Klaus looked over at him and smiled lightly as he knocked on the door. "Simple. Finn likes to have the room closest to an exit or the stairs, always has. Elijah on the other hand prefers to be close to the stairs if he's not on the ground floor but not right beside them so he has the room diagonally across from Finn," he said.

The door opened just after Klaus finished speaking to reveal Finn, who looked slightly shocked about something but it was unclear what. He caught sight of Klaus and Jeremy and the expression immediately disappeared from his face. "Come in," he said, opening the door wide and moving aside to allow the both of them inside.

Following Klaus's lead, Jeremy went inside and closed the door behind him. He spotted Elijah sitting down at the desk and gave him a small smile which was returned. He sat down on the bed when Klaus nudged him and snuggled up into his side, putting his legs underneath him to be more comfortable.

Klaus made himself comfortable on the bed first then placed an arm around Jeremy's shoulders. He looked up at Finn, who had sat down on the plush leather armchair that was under the window, for lighting to read. He glanced from Elijah to Finn a few times before he tightened his arm around Jeremy's shoulders, feeling a sense of dread go through him. "What is it you wanted to talk to us about?"

Elijah and Finn weren't in the least bit surprised that Klaus already knew they had something to tell him. He was always good at knowing that sort of thing, whether because of a sixth sense he had or because he eavesdropped they didn't know.

"You two bonded earlier, didn't you?" Finn asked of Klaus and Jeremy when it became obvious to him that Elijah would not be taking the initiative this time.

Jeremy blinked at the question. Klaus had told him that he was sure his two brothers had heard them but he hadn't ever thought that they might be able to tell they had mated. He glanced at Klaus for help but say that the man appeared to be just as surprised as he was.

Taking a deep breath he asked, "How do you know that?"

Elijah spoke up this time. "We could feel it when it happened," he said, getting straight to the point.

Klaus squeezed Jeremy closer comfortingly when he felt the boy's body tense almost to the point of becoming a statue. He only turned back to Elijah and Finn when he felt Jeremy loosen up and snuggle into him again. "What do you mean you felt it?" he asked.

Finn sighed. He had known that they would have to explain in as much detail as they could but he had hoped to do this alone with Klaus first. Jeremy didn't look to be taking this very well, as far as he could tell.

"We felt some of your emotions and there was a warmth in our hearts," he said finally when he could see that Klaus was becoming impatient to the point of being close to attacking one or the both of them to get them to start talking.

Klaus snarled to himself at the vague explanation from Finn. "Explain. I have no idea what you're trying to tell either of us for you're telling me hardly anything," he said, a snarl in his words even though he tried to stop it. He felt Jeremy lean around and place a kiss on his jaw and he relaxed at the touch.

Elijah shared a glance with Finn. He had never thought that Klaus might become angry when they brought this subject up. He had thought he would become protective of Jeremy but that wasn't the case. "You know we could hear you near the end," he said, sending an apologetic simile to Jeremy when he saw the bright red blush that was spreading up his neck to his face at those words. "But when you bonded, we could feel the contentment and whatever else you were feeling from you. It was faint but we could still feel it. At the same time, warmth of some sort went through our hearts."

Klaus frowned at that, looking over at Jeremy. He pulled him closer, both to comfort him and to draw support for himself. It made no sense to him. His brothers shouldn't have felt anything but they had. He glanced again at Jeremy and saw a light in his eyes. "Jeremy?" he asked in a whisper.

Jeremy looked up at Klaus. "I think I read something about that in the book you found the myth about hybrid's in. I skipped ahead a few pages from what you told me to read and I…" he trailed off when he realized that all three of the Original brothers were staring at him intently, an intensity to their stares that sent shivers down his spine.

Klaus stared at Jeremy for a moment longer before he turned to Finn and Elijah. He pulled his lips back slightly in a snarl, feeling his hybrid face come out for he could feel his fangs lengthen. He nodded, satisfied when they both turned their gazes away in shame. "It's alright, love. What did you read?" he asked.

Jeremy took a deep breath and nudged Klaus to turn around. When the hybrid did without any resistance or hesitation, he snuggled up into Klaus's chest, sighing in relief when he felt him wrap his arms around him and pull him even closer. "I read that if the hybrid happens to be an Original, then the other Originals can feel it when the mating happens," he said. He paused for a moment then added, "Well, the Originals who aren't dead or neutralized."

Klaus nodded thoughtfully. That made sense since as Originals, they had more strengths and fewer weaknesses than other vampires like the Salvatores. He was relieved that Kol was neutralized for his youngest brother would, at this moment, be trying to seduce Jeremy away from him.

Finn stood up from the chair and turned to look out the window at the surrounding forest. What Jeremy said made sense but what he had felt still unsettled him and reminded him that, besides his siblings, he had no one else in this modern world. The one he had loved, Sage, he knew was either dead or she had moved on. He had always known as soon as he met her that she wasn't the type to wait if you disappeared.

Jeremy looked over at Finn and, after a glance at Klaus, got up from the bed and walked over to him. He put a hand on Finn's shoulder. "Finn, you're not alone and I won't let Nik be an ass," he said.

Finn relaxed as he felt Jeremy's hand on his shoulder and he laughed at Jeremy's words. He laughed harder at the sound of Klaus's growl. He turned around, clasping Jeremy's shoulder in a friendly move and staring at Klaus. "Come on, Niklaus. You know your mate is right," he said teasingly.

Klaus growled, knowing his eyes were flashing golden amber but he didn't really feel all that angry at Jeremy or Finn's words. He knew Jeremy was just trying to help Finn to feel better and that they were just in jest. He stood up from the bed, beginning to grow restless. "There was something else you two wanted to ask me," he said, trying to give himself something to think about.

Elijah hesitated. Glancing at Jeremy, he knew immediately that it would be better to bring up with him first and not Klaus. Klaus would just say no and that would the end of it. Jeremy would be able to convince Klaus to do it if he saw the reason in it. "May I speak to Jeremy first?" he asked, keeping his eyes locked in Klaus for he knew that his brother would most likely try to kill him at his audacity to ask that question.

Jeremy blinked in surprise, unable to move or speak, but when he saw that Klaus had his amber eyes, his fangs were lengthened and the veins were showing around his eyes, he quickly walked over and stood in the middle between his mate and Elijah. "It's fine, Nik. Elijah won't do anything to me and I'll tell you what he told me right away, okay?" said soothingly. The bond nudged him to add, "Trust me? I love you."

Klaus inhaled deeply to calm himself down and felt his face return to normal. He nodded reluctantly, standing up and walking over to Jeremy. "Of course I trust you," he whispered lowly, for Jeremy's ears only. He leaned down and kissed him roughly, twining a hand in Jeremy chocolate brown hair. "Tell me what he told you as soon as you're done?"

Jeremy nodded, smiling up at him. "Of course," he whispered just as softly even though he knew Elijah and Finn would him anyway. He waited for Klaus to untangle his hand from his hair before he turned and walked to the door, pausing to wait for Elijah. He followed Elijah out when the Original rose from his seat and walked out of the room, sending one last loving smile at Klaus and a friendly wave to Finn.

Elijah was relieved that he had been right that Klaus would give Jeremy anything he asked for. He led the boy out of the house and to a clearing about half a mile away from the mansion, to be sure that Klaus wouldn't be able to overhear what he was talking about. "Has Niklaus told you about our youngest brother, Kol?" he asked, turning to Jeremy and waiting until he had sat down on a fallen tree.

Shocked at the question, it took Jeremy a few moments to actually understand what he had been asked. When he did finally comprehend what he had been asked, he immediately flashed back to the story Klaus had told him about his family. He nodded, coming back to the present and looking up at Elijah. "Yeah, he told me that Kol was the youngest. But when you became vampires, he said that Kol was least stable mentally since he could switch from acting normal and sane, to acting insane and violent for practically no reason," he said, confused as to where Elijah was going with this line of conversation.

Elijah noticed that Jeremy was confused and tried to clarify his train of thought quickly. "You know that besides Rebekah, Kol is the last one still daggered. Finn and I want your help in convincing Klaus to take the dagger out. But I have to warn you that Kol will most likely try to seduce you as soon as he finds out Klaus actually cares about you and about your mate bond," he said.

Jeremy rolled his eyes at the last part. It would just figure that Kol would be that type. But he pushed that aside for the moment and concentrated on the more important part of what Elijah said. "You want me to convince Klaus to wake him up? Elijah, everything you just told me is going to be the very reason that Klaus will say no and there's nothing I can say in return to convince him otherwise," he said.

Elijah sighed. He walked over to sit down beside Jeremy on the tree trunk. "Jeremy, please understand. Finn and I just want our family to as whole as it can be. We want to try Rebekah first but we don't know how we'd get to her or how she'd react to you and Klaus," he said. "Kol is the only one that we know will react positively. He'll be annoying but he won't really care."

Jeremy sighed himself for what felt like the thousandth time in the past week. He could see why Elijah wanted Kol awake and not still stuck in the coffin. "Alright. I'll see if I can get Nik to agree. I don't promise you anything since I'm sure all of us know that Klaus can be a little stubborn so I don't want you to be disappointed if I can't get him to say yes," he said.

Understanding that Jeremy hated to see disappointment in him from those that he loved and trusted, Elijah nodded in understanding. "I know exactly how stubborn he can be. I had to deal with him for centuries after all and sometimes it was only he and I," he said. He rose from the tree trunk and held out a hand to help Jeremy up. He was only slightly surprised when Jeremy accepted his hand and allowed him to pull him to his feet.

Jeremy glanced in the direction of the mansion. He could feel that Klaus was getting impatient through the bond. He knew instinctually that Nik was on the verge of coming out and looking for them any moment now so he turned his full attention to Elijah. "I think you should carry me back, using your vampire speed. Nik's getting impatient," he said.

Elijah smirked and chuckled a little at that. His brother wasn't getting impatient, at least not as much as Jeremy was interpreting from the bond. It was more likely that his brother's possessive traits were starting to come out the longer he kept Jeremy away from him. He walked right up to Jeremy and swept him up into his arms in a bridal hold and, as Jeremy had suggested, used his vampire speed to get them to the mansion in the mere span of a second or two.

Jeremy only had time to blink after he was swept into Elijah's arms before the vampire moved and then stopped again. He gasped slightly in surprise when he was torn away from Elijah, even though he could sense through the bind that it was Klaus. He wrapped his arms around his hybrid's neck so that he didn't fall to the floor although he had every ounce of confidence in Klaus that he wouldn't allow that to happen.

Elijah held his hands up in surrender at the glare he received from Klaus, and sent a thankful look at Jeremy when he quickly kissed him to distract him. While that distraction was working, he used his vampire speed to disappear upstairs and back into Finn's room, closing the door without a sound behind him.

Jeremy broke the kiss when he was sure that he had given Elijah enough time to get to somewhere Klaus wouldn't be able to follow him to since he was certain Klaus wouldn't let him get more than a foot away from him. He smiled guiltily when Klaus gave him a look that told him the hybrid had known right from the beginning what he was doing.

"It's alright, Jer. I understand that you were just making sure I didn't do anything I would regret. And if I had hurt or killed Elijah, I would have regretted it," Klaus said, soothingly running a hand over Jeremy's arm.

Jeremy relaxed into Klaus's chest, loosening his grip slightly around Klaus's neck when he felt his feet meet the floor again. "Do you want to know what Elijah wanted?" he asked, hesitant and afraid of angering Klaus.

Klaus blinked at the sense of fear that went through him from Jeremy. It made him feel ashamed that he had made Jeremy afraid of him when his mate should always feel safe and loved with him. "Why don't we go settle on the couch first, love?" he asked, lovingly taking one of Jeremy's hands and pressing a kiss to the top of his it.

Jeremy blinked then broke out into a pleased smile, nodding and following Klaus as he led him to the living room. He settled on the couch facing him, grasping both of his hands now to draw strength from him and so that he was always certain that Klaus was not angry at him or at anyone.

"What did Elijah want, love? I promise I won't get angry," Klaus whispered, kissing Jeremy briefly on the cheek.

Jeremy kissed Klaus on the lips in thanks then took a deep breath to prepare for what he was about to say. "Elijah and Finn… they you to take the dagger out of Kol. They want your family to be as whole as possible," he said. When Klaus didn't show any reaction at all on his face, he continued on speaking, trying to get some reaction from his mate. "I agree that you should at least try it. Kol shouldn't be lying in that coffin neutralized unless he would go about massacring whole towns every month."

Signaling Jeremy to stop, Klaus sighed in defeat. He had known this would come sooner or later, he just hadn't thought that his brothers would involve Jeremy in trying to convince him to do it. "They didn't say anything about Rebekah?" he asked sardonically.

Jeremy shook his head, unsure how to take that question. He wasn't sure if Klaus honestly meant it and wanted the answer or if he was just asking rhetorically. "Elijah said that he and Finn knew that she would for sure disapprove of our relationship since you've always mocked her for falling in love with humans," he replied, deciding to go on the side that Klaus meant the question. "He said that Kol would accept our relationship and that the only thing he would really do to the two of us is annoy you by trying to get me to sleep with him, even though he'll know for sure that I never will."

"That sounds about right," Klaus commented idly, thinking everything over.

Jeremy patiently sat through the silence for he could see that Klaus was thinking over the idea. It took barely a minute before he felt Klaus tugging him right up against him, gripping his jaw gently and kissing him passionately. He sensed through the bond that Klaus needed the distraction for a moment or two so he returned the kiss, deepening it.

He moaned when Klaus moved down his throat, pausing briefly to nibble at the spot by his ear that always made him moan out loud. He arched his neck back to give him more access, placing his hands on Klaus's chest for leverage. He panted as Klaus pushed the button up shirt down his arms, pulling the collar of the tank top aside so he could then nibble on his collarbones and leave love bites scattered here and there.

Continuing for a moment longer, Klaus left one last love bite on the left side of Jeremy's throat before he pulled away, fixing the collar of the tank top. "Alright, I'll wake up Kol. I have missed him despite how annoying he can be," he said. He watched Jeremy shrug the button up shirt back on normally, waiting for his reaction.

"It that really what you want to do?" Jeremy asked. He wanted to be sure that Klaus wanted to do this, not because Jeremy or Elijah and Finn wanted it but because he did.

"It is what I want. While I would prefer to leave him daggered so you won't have to fend him off, I want my family to be as whole as possible just like Elijah and Finn," Klaus replied, meaning every word.

Jeremy laughed slightly at the first part of what Klaus said. "It won't be that hard to fend him off, will it?" he asked.

Klaus raised an eyebrow at Jeremy, placing a hand gently on his cheek. "You're in for a treat if you think it will be easy to get Kol to leave you alone," he said, laughing slightly.

Jeremy sighed but he didn't actually mind. He certainly wouldn't be bored at any point in the next few years. "I'll go and stay with Elijah and Finn. I don't want to be bitten again by a vampire who's been asleep for over a hundred years," he said, standing up.

Klaus nodded and rose from the couch as well, giving Jeremy a kiss. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he whispered then disappeared.

Jeremy nodded to himself then walked out of the living room to the stair. He went up slowly, trying to figure out whether that had actually been a good idea. He shook it off when he got to the top of the stairs and knocked on Finn's door.

He had to suppress a scream when the door opened, his wrist was grabbed and he was yanked roughly into the room, the door slamming closed behind him.

When he was released, he wobbled slightly on his feet before he steadied himself and he rubbed his stinging wrist. He looked up and glared at Finn. "What was that for?" he asked angrily.

Finn looked guilty. "My apologies, Jeremy. I was uncertain whether Niklaus was with you or near," he said.

He understood immediately why he Finn had done what he had but it didn't mean he appreciated the sore wrist that was the result. "Just try not to almost break my wrist next time, please," he said, giving up on his wrist.

Finn nodded. "What is Niklaus doing?" he asked, his patience having fled from having been asleep for over 900 years.

Jeremy looked back and forth between Elijah and Finn for a moment or two before he actually remembered that all of the rooms were sound proofed in the house. "He went to go wake up Kol," he said, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Elijah sighed silently in relief. He had had doubts that Jeremy would be able to convince Klaus but he had been more confident that he would succeed for he had seen that Niklaus couldn't deny the boy anything. "Thank you," he said, locking eyes with Jeremy's.

Blushing slight at being the center of attention for the two vampires, Jeremy nodded in return, acknowledging Elijah's thanks. "It was actually easier than I thought it would be," he said. "I barely argued with him and he agreed."

Finn chuckled slightly at that. "Are you sure he didn't imply that he wanted something in return?" he asked, slipping out of character for a brief moment.

Stunned, Jeremy was silent for a few moments, unable to think of anything to respond to that. Finally, he shook his head, a slightly embarrassed smile coming to his lips. "He might but then again I wouldn't mind," he said, a slight blush spreading across his cheeks.

Elijah walked over to Finn and punched him lightly on the arm. "Leave him alone Finn. I feel bad enough he'll have to deal with Kol, if he doesn't try to kill Niklaus one too many times before he actually listens," he said.

Jeremy wasn't sure whether to be offended or not at the teasing the two Originals were putting him through. Instead, he just sat down on the bed and his head in his hands, deciding to wait for Klaus to come back.

{HC}

It was almost two hours later before the door to Finn's room opened without warning and Klaus appeared in front of Jeremy a split second later, gently guiding him to his feet and hugging him close.

Jeremy blinked in confusion and slight surprise, returning the hug. He looked at Finn and Elijah over Klaus's shoulder but the other vampires only shrugged at him, appearing just as surprised and confused. "Klaus? Is everything alright?" he asked tentatively.

Klaus nodded, pressing a kiss to the top of Jeremy's head. "Everything is fine. I just forgot how annoying Kol can be. It's been so long that I forgot it's so easy for him to push me so much I just want to shove a stake in him," he murmured.

Jeremy could see over Klaus's shoulder that Elijah and Finn were stifling laughter and he groaned inwardly. He just knew that this was going to be worse than he had first thought. "So where is Kol? Do I have to be worried about tripping over him somewhere in the house?" he asked, trying to get Klaus to show at least a little humour.

Klaus laughed softly, knowing what Jeremy was doing. He shook off thoughts of Kol, concentrating solely on his mate. "No, you won't be tripping over him. You will need to be worried about everything else. You might also want to stay near one of us in case he drives you crazy," he said, returning the favour.

Smiling, Jeremy went onto his tiptoes and stretched up to kiss him. "I think I can handle him. If I can't, then I'll be sure to stick very close to you until he stops," he said when he broke the kiss.

"I can understand why this one is your mate, Nik. He's actually cute," a taunting voice said from the doorway. "Although, I didn't take you as the type for long term commitment either."

Jeremy and Klaus separated and Jeremy stared at the vampire standing in the doorway. He was just as tall as he was, wearing clothes that were clearly at least a century old when compared to what he and the others were wearing. There was a gleam of mischief or insanity; he wasn't sure which in the vampire's dark eyes. He looked like a younger version of Elijah, but Jeremy knew instinctively that they were nothing alike. He guessed that in appearance he was around 20 or 21 years old.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your mate, Nik? He looks a little enamoured with me after all," he said.

Jeremy blinked and turned to face Klaus, grabbing one of the hybrid's hands to show that what Kol said wasn't true and for support. Klaus and his brothers had never mentioned that their youngest sibling had the ability to make you afraid of him just by being near you.

Noticing his mate's nervousness, Klaus placed both of his hands on Jeremy's hips and pulled him back so he was pressed up against him. He silently asked if he was alright by squeezing his hip and Jeremy answered yes by placing his own hand on top of his. "Jeremy, this is Kol. Ignore him and he'll eventually give up on trying to annoy you," he said, placing his chin on Jeremy's shoulder.

"Come on, Nik. Don't put him under false impressions. I only give up on what I want when I don't want it anymore," Kol said, walking towards Klaus and Jeremy slowly and teasingly. His accent made everything he said into a taunt although it was the same as that of his siblings.

Jeremy wanted to back up to keep the same distance between he and Kol but Klaus was standing right behind so he couldn't move. He held back the urge to flinch he felt when Kol placed a hand on his cheek and rubbed his thumb in a brief circle over his cheekbone. He held as still as possible, suddenly fearing that he had been wrong to encourage Klaus to wake Kol.

Klaus growled lowly at his brother when Kol switched to his vampire face and began to lean forward towards Jeremy's throat. "Kol," he snarled. He calmed slightly when Kol took his hands away from Jeremy, holding them up, palms facing him in surrender. He held Jeremy close, watching as Kol backed away and switched back to his human face.

"Calm down, brother. I was just testing to see whether this mate business you told me about was the truth or whether you were just leading the boy around. He looks like someone I'd be able to get along with, at any rate," Kol said. He locked eyes with Jeremy, trying to convey he meant no harm. The boy made him calm just by being near him and as much as he hated not to have control over himself, he was thankful for the calm aura for it actually aided him in having control. "I don't mean you any harm. You seem to be able to tame dear Nik and I must say he looks great with a leash."

Jeremy quickly turned around and pressed a hand to Klaus's chest, stopping him from leaping at Kol. He dimly heard Kol laughing but he focused on Klaus, blocking the sound out. "Klaus, he's just trying to get a raise out of you. He wants your attention. You told me that yourself. Don't give it to him," he whispered lowly.

Taking a deep breath, Klaus nodded and backed down. "Don't test me, Kol. I may be different now that I have Jeremy but it doesn't mean I won't kill you if I feel it necessary," he said.

Kol nodded, acknowledging the truth of that statement. He glanced down at himself then at Jeremy and the others. He smirked slightly before speaking. "Despite the fact I'm more handsome than the rest of you, do you have any modern clothes I could change into?" he asked, the smirk still in place.

Jeremy rolled his eyes. Out of everything Klaus the others had told him about Kol, they had never thought to tell him that he was vain and self-absorbed. "My clothes might fit you if you can lower yourself to wearing them until Klaus or someone buys or steals you some," he said, a smirk flitting across his lips briefly.

Kol laughed, amused by the boy. He might actually be able to get over his anger at Klaus for daggering him if Jeremy was going to be around all of the time. "I think I'll be able to stand it, so long as they're not horrible," he returned. "And judging by what you're wearing right now, I think they'll be fine."

Jeremy turned around and kissed Klaus. "You stole some of my clothes during that time we couldn't see each other, right?" he asked. He sighed in relief when Klaus nodded affirmative. He kissed him again, not at all surprised when the hybrid deepened it and turned it rough. He gently pushed him away, laughing under his breath. "I'll be back in a few minutes, depending on how picky Kol is."

Kol moved out of the way then followed Jeremy as he led the way out of the room, throwing a smirk back at Klaus as he passed through the doorway. He admired Jeremy from the back. The boy was cute, the type he would have pursued before he had been daggered but he knew he couldn't do that here. Even if Niklaus knew and accepted he would try to seduce the boy, he knew it would be dangerous and he valued his undead living status.

He snapped out of his thoughts when they got to the last room on the right side of the hall, the same side as Finn's room. He followed Jeremy inside and sat down on the bed as the teenager rummaged through the dresser. He waited impatiently, glancing around the room. It was so like Klaus, especially with the sketches in the picture frames on the walls. He blinked when a pair of jeans smacked him in the face and pulled them off his head, looking over at Jeremy who was now leaning against the dresser, laughing.

"Something interesting to you?" Jeremy asked. He stopped laughing when he saw anger flash over Kol's face but it quickly disappeared and he knew that Kol had restrained his unpredictable nature. He turned back around and grabbed a brown long sleeved shirt and threw it at Kol as well. He wasn't surprised at all that Kol caught the item of clothing this time since he saw it coming and wasn't busy staring around the room.

He looked away when Kol stood up and reached down to unfasten his pants. "I'll just wait out in the hall," he said, motioning with his hand in the direction of the door. He started to walk over to the door to leave the room but when he reached the door, Kol appeared in front of him and shut the door. He took a few steps back, feeling calmer than was probably sane.

"Stay. There's no need for you to wait out in the hall and besides I might need you to find me something else to wear," Kol said. "Of course, if you're worried about being more attracted to me than Klaus, you're welcome to wait in the hall." He moved away from the door, walking back over to the bed where the clothes were.

Jeremy knew Kol was just trying to get compliments on his looks so he just rolled his eyes and walked over to the bed, climbing onto it and leaning into the headboard with the pillow behind him for support as he stayed sitting up. "Just make it quick so Nik doesn't come in and try to kill you when he starts to think you're doing something to me," he said.

Knowing that what Jeremy said was very possible, Kol quickly took off his 1900s clothes and threw them to the floor, kicking them under Klaus's bed. He glanced up at Jeremy to see him rolling his eyes at him. He pulled on the jeans and found that they actually fit in a way that he liked. He then pulled on the brown shirt, buttoning three of the five buttons up by the collar. He heard Jeremy moving but he ignored that and looked at himself in the mirror in the far left corner of the room. He turned at the tap to his shoulder and took the belt Jeremy gave him, putting through the loops in his jeans and bucking it. He turned back to the mirror, thinking he looked better now. He nodded to himself, satisfied.

Jeremy raised an eyebrow at Kol, crossing his arms as he waited for the vampire to finish admiring himself. "Good enough for you?" he asked, just to check. He was somewhat surprised at how well his clothes actually fit Kol but he supposed he shouldn't since it was obvious the two of them were more or less the same size. Kol nodded to him so he started to walk to the door again, but he paused when he felt Kol grab his arm and he turned to face him for what he felt was the tenth time. He raised an eyebrow at him, confused as to what he wanted.

"One more thing, mate," Kol said, feeling slightly guilty at being the one to bring this up. He could just see in Jeremy's eyes that he didn't want to be a vampire, not really, but if he wanted to spend eternity with Niklaus then he would have to. "To be with Nik for eternity, you know what needs to happen don't you?"

Jeremy felt his eyes and he felt himself start to panic at the question. Knowing if he did allow himself to panic, Klaus would feel it and come to see what was going, so he calmed himself down. "I'll have to become a vampire," he whispered. He knew Kol could hear him so he didn't bother to repeat it louder.


	14. Immortality?

The words began an awkward silence between Jeremy and Kol and the boy shifted uneasily after a moment. He noticed that Kol was graciously not saying anything and giving him time to think without interruptions.

"You don't know if you want to be a vampire do you, mate?" Kol asked, noticing that Jeremy had a confused look on his face and in his eyes.

Jeremy reluctantly nodded. "I love Klaus and I want to be with him forever but I don't exactly have a very good track record with vampires," he responded.

"Really?" Kol asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Yeah. First there was Vicki, she's my ex-girlfriend, Damon turned her and then she tried to bite me and drain me dry. Next was Damon who was in love with my sister and broke my neck. Last was Katherine, who actually did drain me and broke my neck," Jeremy explained, crossing his arms and rubbing the upper part of his arms. "And you probably find that amusing."

Kol shook his head, actually feeling sorry about for his brother's mate, something that never happened in his life before now. "I don't. What I do think about it is that you have the worst luck in this town," he said. He thought for a moment and figured that it must have been at least five minutes or more since they had left Niklaus. He figured that it was about time they went back before he ended up daggered again.

"We should go back before Nik gets too impatient," he said, walking over to Jeremy and gently taking his arm. "I'm sorry about bringing that topic up. Just don't tell any of my brothers that I apologised. They'll just start bugging me about what I'm planning." He opened the door and let Jeremy take the led as they left the room and went down the hall after he closed the door behind them.

"It's fine. I would have had to talk to someone about that sooner or later and it's probably better that it was you and not Nik. I'm not sure how he'd take my indecisiveness. I won't tell them anything. I wouldn't want to ruin your image after all," Jeremy said, shooting a teasing smirk over his shoulder at the vampire behind him.

Kol laughed and opened the door to Finn's room when Jeremy paused there to wait for him. He led the way inside and used his vampire speed to move out of the way of his angry hybrid brother, grabbing Jeremy as well so Klaus didn't blame him for any injury he accidentally inflicted.

"Nik," Jeremy said. He took a set forward, trying to go over to Klaus who was now standing in the doorway of the room with his fists clenched at his sides but Kol gripped his arm and held him back. He turned his head to look at him, forgetting about everyone else except for Kol and his mate. "Kol, he won't hurt me. Let me go." He pulled at the grip on his arm but Kol still didn't budge.

Kol looked over Jeremy's head at his brother. He knew that Klaus would do his best to stop himself from hurting Jeremy but every instinct in his body screamed that Jeremy would be better off waiting until it was certain that Klaus had calmed all of his anger. He waited until Klaus's fists loosened at his sides before he let go of the teenager.

As soon as he was released, Jeremy immediately ran over to his hybrid and threw himself into the man's embrace. "What's wrong, Nik?" he asked, burying his face in Klaus's shoulder.

Klaus did his best to calm himself down completely so that he didn't do anything he knew he would regret. He was thankful that Kol had moved Jeremy out of the way for he wasn't sure what he would have done if he harmed his mate accidentally. His wolf howled inside his head at the mere thought of the possibility. He pressed a hand to the back of his human's head, pressing him closer and he tilted his head down and kissed the top of his head.

"Nothing's wrong. It's just my possessive nature. Finn, Elijah, and Kol will all tell you that that has gotten them into trouble a few times in the past," he whispered, almost surprising himself with how honest he was with his answer. But then again, the teenager was his mate and he didn't even think of lying to him about anything.

Jeremy pulled away slightly from Klaus so that he could look behind him at the other three Originals. He wasn't sure if they had heard so he looked first to Kol, who was the closest.

Kol nodded, knowing what Jeremy was asking with his glance. He remembered the incidents Klaus mentioned and he winced inwardly in remembrance of the punishment his brother had inflicted. Anything they had coveted at the time, he had destroyed in retaliation.

Jeremy wasn't sure he wanted to know what had happened so he threw a glance at Elijah and Finn, who also nodded to him before he turned back to Klaus. The whole situation suddenly made him think about his recently ruined relationship with Elena.

Despite what Klaus had done to them, they still loved him as the family that he was to them. Elena, on the hand, as far as he could see didn't love him now that he had chosen to be with Klaus. He had heard her complaining about him as he was leaving although he knew that Klaus and Elijah both thought he hadn't heard anything she had said. It almost broke him to know that Elena was really so enamoured in herself that she didn't care for him anymore but Klaus's love and that of his brothers helped to keep him together.

Sensing Jeremy's distress, Klaus was unsure what to do except hold Jeremy closer to try to tell him that he was there for him and would always be there. He knew Jeremy had received the message when he wrapped his arms around his waist and hugged him back.

Kol itched to tease his brother about how he was acting but he understood that this was important for Jeremy's emotional state so he restrained the urge. He glanced at his other brothers and saw that they held the same understanding in their eyes. After a few moments, the depression started to get to him and he just couldn't stop himself any more. "As much as I think this moment is cute, why don't we go out somewhere and have a little fun?" he asked, shifting restlessly on his feet.

Klaus raised an eyebrow at Jeremy, telling him it was his decision.

Jeremy nodded, knowing that he needed that, a sense of normalcy. He pulled away from Klaus and turned to look at Kol, giving him a smile in thanks. "That sounds like a great idea," he said, trying to sound as happy as he wanted to. He threw a glance back at Klaus. "The Grill?"

Klaus nodded and took Jeremy's hand. He glanced over at his siblings, silently asking if they were coming. Kol immediately went over to join them at the door and Elijah and Finn joined him after rolling their eyes at his antics since his actions had a touch of arrogance and the psychotic nature they had noticed developing in their brother centuries ago. Finn only just remembered for they had noticed not too long before Klaus had daggered him.

Jeremy felt Kol brush a hand over the small of his back as he passed him and Klaus growled, making a move towards his youngest brother. Jeremy quickly stopped, forcing Klaus to do the same or risk dragging him along should he consider continue walking. "Klaus, let it pass," he whispered softly. "You told me yourself he likes to mess with people."

Klaus inhaled sharply as he restrained himself but he recognized the truth in Jeremy's words and restrained himself from hurting his little brother. He followed Jeremy as he started walking again, focusing on calming himself down. He caught the sound of chains when they all reached the bottom of the staircase. He turned his head too look in that direction confused for a moment.

Elijah noticed his brother's confusion immediately. "Finn and I had to put Stefan in that room that branches from the living room, remember?" he asked lightly.

Klaus nodded but something was urging him to go and confront the younger vampire. He glanced at Jeremy out of the corner of his eye. "I want to see him," he said lowly.

Jeremy shook his head immediately, worried about what Klaus would do but over Klaus's shoulder, he could see the expression on Kol's face and he knew that he wouldn't have a choice. He swallowed and looked back Klaus. "Ok," he whispered, looking down at the ground at his feet. "I'm staying in the living room with Kol, though."

Klaus nodded, throwing a glare in Kol's direction. He was satisfied when Kol held his hands up in surrender, giving him a nod to show he wouldn't try anything. He couldn't help but feel slightly hesitant about what he was going to do, able to sense Jeremy's indecision on the topic through their bond. It was obvious Jeremy loved him and wouldn't begrudge him his nature.

Jeremy sat down on the couch and watched as Klaus opened the doors, giving him a brief glance of Stefan chained to the wall in the small room before Elijah and Finn slipped in, closing the door behind them with an understanding glance thrown his way from the two oldest Originals. He glanced up at Kol when he sat down on the couch beside him.

"You know if you asked him to, Klaus wouldn't kill Stefan," Kol said, smirking slightly when Jeremy jumped at the unexpected sound of his voice.

Leaning back into the couch, Jeremy nodded. "I know," he whispered. "But I would never ask someone to change just so that I feel better. That's not really love or true friendship."

Kol blinked, slightly surprised at something so profound coming from the teenager who was barely even a fraction of his age. He listened closely to what was going on in the other room for a moment before turning his full attention back to Jeremy, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but where he was at the moment. He was about to say something when the sound of breaking chains stopped him, along with the door of the small side room flying open.

Jeremy looked up and saw Stefan flying towards him with an angry look on his face and revenge sparking in his eyes behind the cool and aloof exterior he was trying to put up. He knew he wouldn't be able to move out of the way fast enough for Stefan not to be able to do anything but he had nothing to worry about.

Klaus suddenly appeared behind Stefan, grabbing him by the neck and tossing him to the other side of the room, as far away from Jeremy as possible. He made a move to turn to deal with Stefan but Kol beat him to, suddenly appearing standing in front of the younger vampire. Deciding Kol would most likely try to kill him as well if he tried to kill Stefan himself, he turned to Jeremy and gathered him up in his arms.

Jeremy buried his face in Klaus's chest and wrapped his arms as tight as he could around the hybrid's waist so he couldn't pull away, despite his supernatural strength. He looked over at Kol beating Stefan up over Klaus's shoulder for a moment before burying his face in his mate's chest again.

Kol tossed a glance over his shoulder at Jeremy. He grabbed both sides of Stefan's head and twisted his head around violently, breaking the other vampire's neck. He glanced up to find Elijah and Finn standing in front of him, both looking in Klaus and Jeremy's direction. "What happened? I thought he was chained up," he said, tilting his head towards Stefan's unconscious form on the ground.

Elijah grimaced slightly to himself at Kol's question. "It would appear that the chains Niklaus had in the room that Finn and I used to restrain Stefan were not up to par to holding a vampire for as long as they did," he said.

Staring at Klaus's back as he held Jeremy close, Kol grimaced, not afraid to show the expression around his siblings. He was certain that his half-brother would not understand that it wasn't Elijah and Finn's fault, or anyone's really, since Jeremy had been placed at risk. He knew for certain that it would cloud his judgement if it had been him and he could actually bring himself to care about a human.

Klaus brought a hand up to twine his fingers in Jeremy's hair and pull his head back, kissing him passionately on the lips. He ignored the presence of his brothers behind him and concentrated on immersing himself in his mate. It was mostly to comfort himself with the knowledge that Stefan hadn't been able to even lay a finger on him. It was just a reminder that Jeremy as a human was more vulnerable than the rest of them. But, he respected his mate's choice to stay human and wouldn't bring the subject up unless he did.

Reluctantly, he pulled away after a moment and turned to look at Stefan's figure on the floor a few feet away, keeping an arm around Jeremy's waist. He glanced over into Jeremy's eyes and fought with himself. As much as he wanted to kill the threat to his mate himself, he knew that no matter how much Jeremy tried to accept everything about him and his nature, it would be better to not make him have to accept the fact that he had killed someone his sister cared about.

"It's alright, Nik. I won't mind," Jeremy whispered, sensing what Klaus was thinking about even though nothing showed on the hybrid's face.

But before Klaus could respond, Stefan shot up from the floor and sped over to Jeremy, reaching out to grab him around the waist. Kol was suddenly there, gently shoving Jeremy towards Klaus before throwing Stefan to the floor. He sped over to the dining room and broke one of the chairs, taking hold of one of the legs and brandishing it like a stake. As Stefan got up and started towards Jeremy again, who had somehow ended up on the other side of the room from Klaus and the others since Kol had turned his attention away.

Feeling a surge of rage rush through his veins like nothing he had felt before in his life as either human or vampire, he sped over to stand behind the younger vampire. He grabbed Stefan's shoulder and out of the corner of his eye, he acknowledged Finn, who had grabbed Stefan's other shoulder to aid him in ensuring that the young vampire wouldn't be able to break free. Glancing up at Jeremy, Kol brought the makeshift stake up and slammed it into Stefan's chest, right through the heart.

Klaus came up behind Jeremy, using the mate bond to ensure that his mate knew it was him and not someone else so he didn't startle. He wrapped his arms around the boy's waist and pulled him back into his chest, both for comforting his mate and for himself.

Jeremy turned around in Klaus's arms and pressed his face into the area where the neck connected to the shoulder. He closed his eyes and took a deep shaky breath. He could feel Klaus's worry for him through the bond, it being so strong that he almost forgot that it wasn't his own emotion he was feeling at the moment.

Noticing that Jeremy was barely holding back a breakdown from the recent events of the past few days together, Elijah gestured to Finn and Kol who nodded to him in complete understanding without the use of words and then grabbed Stefan's body and dragged it out of the room to toss into the lit fireplace in the drawing room a few rooms away from where they were now. He glanced over at Klaus when he felt his brother's eyes on him and merely sent a glance at Jeremy to acknowledge he had done it for the human boy they had all come to somehow care for when it had been thought that they would never feel anything genuine for anyone again.

Klaus was just grateful his brothers seemed to like and care for Jeremy almost as much as he did. This would have been a lot more difficult if they were against this or still hated him. He shook off thoughts of his brothers trying to kill him and concentrated on Jeremy again when he felt his mate's mental walls slowly crumbling. "I'm sorry, Jeremy. I know he was a friend at one point. Plus, this was more or less my fault since I compelled him to the state he was in," he whispered, leaning down so he could place his lips at Jeremy's ear.

Jeremy just shook his head in response. It was a few moments before he felt that he could bring himself to move away from Klaus, if only a little, and speak. "It's not your fault and I don't blame you, Nik. It's not like you compelled him to do exactly what he did. It was his choice to do this, humanity turned off or not," he said.

"Well, now that the fun is over, let's go out," Kol said from where he had appeared in the doorway. When Klaus appeared to be ready to snarl at him, he merely raised an eyebrow in Jeremy's direction and smiled smugly when Klaus gave a grudging nod in consent. "Alright, Finn and Elijah are already waiting outside. Let's go."

Jeremy twisted his head around and watched Kol disappear from the room. He looked up at Klaus and smiled. "Kol's got the right idea. Let's just hope that this takes my mind off of everything that has happened. Like the fact that out of all of my friends, Damon is the only one who has accepted this," he said. He thought about that for moment then sighed. "And Damon isn't even my friend really."

Klaus didn't allow any expression to cross his face but he felt a twinge of sadness for his mate. He quickly shook it away though, feeling uncomfortable with the emotion he hadn't felt for centuries. He considered something for a moment then glanced down at Jeremy. "You may have lost your sister and a few others, but you have gained my siblings' love and trust. From what I have seen they have accepted you as family," he said, hoping that it would brighten Jeremy's mood for real and not the fake happy front Jeremy had been putting up the past few minutes.

Jeremy gave a little laugh to himself at the realisation that Klaus had seen through his front almost immediately. He thought about what Klaus had said as they were walking to the front door to meet up with Kol and the others before they left without them. He realised it was true as he caught a glimpse of the worried expressions on the other three Mikaelsons' faces before they saw him and Klaus and smoothed the expressions from their faces.

Shaking off the self-pity he was feeling for what his life had become, he gave a smile to Kol when the youngest Original immediately came over and threw an arm over his shoulders despite Klaus's warning growl at his action.

Finn exchanged a glance with Elijah as they both watched Kol and Klaus escort Jeremy towards Klaus's car. It was obvious that Jeremy still wasn't 100% but there wasn't much that they could do to help the boy. It would depend entirely upon Jeremy himself and Klaus, no matter how much they wanted to help.

A sudden thought occurred to Finn and he quickly reached out and grabbed Elijah's arm, stopping him and allowing some distance between the two of them and the others.

Elijah quickly shot a questioning look at his brother, raising an eyebrow at him.

Finn exhaled, not really wanting to bring this up but knowing he needed to. "What shall we do if Elena is at this… Grill?" he asked, not quite used to the modern way of speaking and the names of buildings.

Elijah allowed a frown to cross his face at the question posed, cutting a glance towards the others from the corner of his eye. Jeremy was standing by the car, talking to Kol and Klaus was making his way towards he and Finn, obviously having heard what the two of them were talking about.

"Finn, would you mind going over to make sure Kol understands his limits when around Jeremy?" Klaus asked, looking directly at Finn.

Finn tensed slightly but relaxed when he realised that Klaus was, in fact, asking him and not ordering him to do what he wanted. He nodded and walked over to where Kol and Jeremy stood, throwing a glance back at Elijah, who gave a minute shrug.

As soon as Finn was standing with his mate, Klaus turned back to Elijah. "If you see Elena there, I want you to make sure that Jeremy does not see her, if it is possible. If he has already seen her, we'll deal with that should it occur," he said. He asked himself why Elena could not just pretend to be happy for her brother at least but then again, the girl struck him as the type to enjoy having everything revolve around her and no one else mattered to her, although she would pretend that they did. He didn't dare to say anything to Jeremy though, his mate being upset enough already.

Jeremy's sudden laughter reached Klaus and Elijah and they both looked over to see that Kol had started to tickle the teenager, apparently having exhausted all other methods of distracting him. Elijah watched Klaus out of the corner of his eyes when he saw that Finn was sneaking behind Jeremy, waiting to see how he would react. He tensed, ready to restrain his brother when Finn grabbed Jeremy by the arms, pulled them behind his back, and held him still so Kol didn't have to chase him.

He only relaxed when Klaus smiled at the unrestrained happiness in Jeremy's laughter that they could all hear perfectly and he suspected that his brother could feel through his bond with the young human.

"Nik!" Jeremy shouted through his laughter. "Stop them!" He tried to fight Finn but the Original tightened his grip just slightly in playfulness.

Klaus tilted his head slightly in consideration before he flashed over and gently pulled his mate away from both Kol and Finn, giving the both of his brothers a grateful glance when he knew his mate would not be able to see it. He rolled his eyes at Kol's smirk, having known that was how his youngest brother would respond to his thanks.

Jeremy backed up until his back was pressed against Klaus, traces of his laughter still in his eyes. "Let's get going, Nik," he whispered, turning his head to be able to direct the words at Klaus.

Klaus nodded, gesturing to his brothers to get in the car. He waited until Elijah and Finn were in the front, Elijah driving, and Kol was in the back behind Finn before he nudged Jeremy to get in the back before he got in himself, closing the door behind him. He noticed that Jeremy looked slightly uncomfortable being in the middle between he and Kol but there was little that could done.

Feeling slightly caged, Jeremy snuggled up into Klaus's side. He felt Klaus wrap an arm around his waist, nudging him until he was leaning with his head on his mate's shoulder.

Kol glanced at Jeremy out of the corner of his eye but was not insulted at the fact that the teenager needed his space. With all that he had been told had happened lately to the teenager, he thought if he were normal and had went through what Jeremy had, then he would be going through the exact same thing although he was not exactly certain for he had never truly been normal or exactly sane throughout his life.

After a few minutes, Jeremy raised his head from Klaus's shoulder and he happened to notice as he did so that they were at the Grill and Elijah was merely parking the car.

A quick glance at the cars parked around the Grill almost made him tense but he forced himself to remain relaxed by sheer force of will so that Klaus would not notice his unease. Elena's car was parked across the street from where Elijah was parking and this alone told him that the Original had not noticed the car and realized Elena was here. If he had, he had no doubt that they would be on their way back to the mansion.

They all needed this night out at the Grill, though, and he didn't wish to ruin the chance for Klaus to start to bond with his brothers again. His relationship was not as bad as it had been but it still needed a lot of work for it to reach the level he longed for it to be at. He needed to fix what he had done in the past to destroy the family he craved to have.

Klaus tightened his grip around his mate's waist when he felt him tense and then relax again in the span of less than a minute. He knew his mate was just trying to help him to have this opportunity to fix his relationship with his brothers so he said nothing. But, he decided that at the first sign that Jeremy was not enjoying himself, he would make everyone leave, no matter if they wanted to or not.

He gestured to his siblings to go in first and he waited until they were inside the Grill before he turned his full attention to his mate. He placed his hands on both sides of his face and gently nudged him to look him in the eyes, despite the reluctance he could see in every line of the boy's body and that thrummed through their bond. "You do know that as soon as you don't feel completely comfortable being here, none of us would mind going back home, right?" he asked, voice soft.

"Why wouldn't I feel comfortable being here, Nik?" Jeremy asked, trying to play oblivious even though he could see in his hybrid's eyes that it was a pointless endeavour. His mate had already seen his sister's car and there would be no persuading Klaus of the opposite of what he thought. It was better off to just try to pretend that nothing bothered him so he could have time with his brothers.

Sighing, Klaus told himself that his mate would tell him if he wanted to leave and decided to drop it. It wasn't worth the pain it would cause Jeremy if he fought with him now, especially over something so trivial as his sister's presence at the same place as they were. He opened the door of the car, got out and reached a hand out to help his mate before he realized that he might not want to seem weak and started to pull his hand back. He blinked in slight shock when Jeremy grabbed his hand before he could completely pull it back.

Shutting the car door behind him, Jeremy pressed himself into his mate's side, wanting the comfort he provided through his warmth and his close proximity. When he felt his eyes on him, he tilted his head slightly and smiled up at him.

Almost unwillingly, Klaus allowed a smile to spread across his own face and walked with his mate up to the door of the Grill. He sent one last look down into the boy's eyes before he opened the door and led the both of them inside. He immediately located his siblings who had somehow managed to sit at the best table in the whole place, although he supposed Kol would have just compelled whoever had been sitting there before to move. It certainly would explain why his youngest brother was smirking so smugly.

As he walked Jeremy over to the table to join his siblings, he subtly looked around for his mate's sister, wanting to know where she was so that they could avoid her as best as they could. He spotted her over at one of the pool tables in the raised area of the Grill with the witch, Bonnie Bennett. He angled himself to ensure that Jeremy would not be able to see either of them.

Jeremy sensed immediately that something was bothering Klaus but he ignored it for the moment in favor of sitting down in the seat that Finn pulled out for him. It left him with Finn sitting to his left and Klaus to his right. Kol was sitting to Finn's left and Elijah sat between Kol and Klaus, which Jeremy assumed was to ensure that the two would not cause a fight with such a proximity to each other. "How are you adjusting, Finn?" he asked to distract himself and the Originals.

Finn blinked a moment and then turn his gaze away from the girl he had been told by Elijah was Jeremy's sister. He looked at Jeremy and smiled slightly. "This time is slightly overwhelming for me. Perhaps if so much time had not passed, it would be easier for me to adjust however… I find that I will most likely never completely understand this time. I… I am unsure as to whether I will actually ever get used to this time," he replied.

Frowning, Jeremy threw a glance at Kol. "And what about you?" he asked, unsure as to how long it had been for Kol since he had been able to walk around.

Kol threw a wink at Jeremy, making the boy blush and Klaus growl at him in anger at the perceived threat to his claim to his mate. He rolled his eyes then set his attention to answering Jeremy. "Klaus here daggered me near the end of the 1800s. It has not been very long for me and I find that not much has changed," he said. "Except perhaps for the fact that metal bats are now used instead of the wooden ones for baseball."

Jeremy couldn't help himself and laughed at that little added frustration from Kol. "It's not something that anyone has really given much thought to, Kol. Truthfully, it's just an economical and environmental decision. It makes it so we don't have to cut down many tress and the metal bats are cheaper for companies to make. But, wooden bats are still made, they're just not that popular anymore since the metal actually gives an advantage according to some," he said.

He felt slightly awkward when he noticed that all four of the Original brothers were staring at him with all of their focus. He shifted himself and his chair to get closer to Klaus, even though his mate was staring at him as well.

"What?" he asked, trying to push his feelings of unease away. "I used to play when my parents would bring all of us to visit family in Colorado Springs."

"Relax mate. We aren't judging you, it's just that you didn't any of us as very sporty, no offense. Plus, Klaus had already informed us that you share his love of artistry," Kol said, his eyes firmly fixed on Klaus instead of Jeremy since his hybrid brother was a lot more volatile.

Jeremy relaxed but he felt uncomfortable still and too far away from Klaus. So, he stood up from his chair and sat down in his mate's lap, winding one arm around his mate shoulders to keep his balance. He felt the hybrid give him a slightly confused glance and he merely rested his head in the crook between his mate's shoulder and neck in answer.

Suddenly, Klaus tensed under him and turned his head slightly to see what was wrong. He regretted the action when he saw that Bonnie and his sister were standing there beside the table.

Elena was standing there, every line of her body portraying anger and disgust while Bonnie was slightly harder to read. The only emotions that were obvious from her were confusion and slight disgust as well.

"Well, if it isn't my idiot of a brother who can't even see when he's being used as a toy until his entertainment value has passed," Elena said meanly with a sneer across her face.

Jeremy knew immediately that Klaus's temper would get the better of him so he placed a placating and shamelessly passionate kiss on his mate's lips then turned to face his sister and ex-girlfriend.

"How many times must everyone in this whole town aware of the supernatural tell you that I'm not being used. I doubt anyone would go to effort like this to use someone to get close to you," he calmly replied back with only a slight bite to his address to his sister.

Elena flinched back slightly at the bite in her brother's voice but then her sneer deepened. "This whole town would sacrifice itself for me because without me no one here would have purpose," she said, posing arrogantly.

Jeremy snorted and he heard Kol echo his disbelief. "Elena, the whole world couldn't care less whether you existed or not. People in Egypt don't know you exist and they all have purpose in their lives. I hate to break this to you but you aren't the center of the universe of to anyone except for yourself," he replied, keeping himself calm.

Klaus remained silent, feeling that his mate needed this be able to become whole again. And, he was fairly certain that if he or any of his siblings were to interfere, Jeremy wouldn't take kindly to the action. He noticed the Bennett witch giving Elena a slightly disbelieving stare and was grateful that the witch could recognise how self-centered the girl was.

Elena didn't have a chance to say anything in reply to that for Kol just couldn't keep his mouth shut any longer. "You're an eyesore, darling. And, you're ruining our night out with family. So please remove yourself from our vicinity before I do it for you," Kol said with a slightly insane grin.

Elena quickly fled at that, recognising that she would not be able to get her brother to dote on her again and that if she lingered she would become a mere meal for one of the four vampires present at that table.

Bonnie lingered for a moment, uncertain. "I can't say I really approve of your relationship with Klaus, Jeremy. But I won't try to drag you two apart like Elena was attempting. I just hope you'll always be happy," she said. After she stated where she stood she turned and walked out of the Grill, a few tears falling from her eyes as she went.

Jeremy glanced around at the Original vampires plus his mate who were now his family and instead of dwelling on the past as he had been the past few days, he thanked god in his head for the new family that he now had. "Let's just enjoy our day," he said, refusing to allow this to be anything but an enjoyable time with his mate and his brothers.

Jeremy walked through the doors of Klaus's home, laughing at a joke Kol had made. Without really realising, all of them walked straight to the living room and distributed themselves on the furniture, Jeremy and Klaus sat themselves down on the love seat while Kol sat in the armchair near the fireplace and Elijah and Finn took the couch. Jeremy blinked when he realised where they had all immediately went but he said nothing, wanting the content atmosphere to last for a little while longer.

Klaus felt hesitation and contentment through his bond with Jeremy but he said nothing, instead shifting himself to be stretched out across the love seat and wrapping both arms around his mate, pulling him down gently to lie down on top of him. He nuzzled his mate's neck but remained silent. He relished the silence in the house for the moment, knowing with Kol around that it would not last much longer. His youngest brother just couldn't stand silence for more than a few moments.

And sure enough, Kol stood up from the armchair and stretched. "Well, as much as I would to stay around and gift you with my dashing looks, I'm going to bed. I've had my fill of emotion today," he said.

Klaus and the others remained silent as Kol left and the vampires in the room could hear him going upstairs. Jeremy sighed softly and made himself comfortable on top of his mate, allowing his heavy lids to cover his eyes slightly.

He must have drifted off for a few minutes for when he opened his eyes again and looked around, it was only he and Klaus remaining in the living room, laid out on the love seat. He twisted around to be able to face his mate and saw the amusement on his face, which meant that he had broadcasted more than he thought through the bond to his mate.

Klaus chuckled softly, reaching a hand up and running it through his mate's short chocolate brown tresses comfortingly. "Elijah and Finn decided to go get some rest and leave us alone when they noticed you had drifted off. They both asked me to tell you that they have enjoyed their time together with us as family," he said softly.

Jeremy felt his eyes widen in surprise at that but truthfully it should not have surprised him all that much. He had not missed how all of the Originals had taken to him almost immediately, protecting him even if they were not aware of it at first. He said nothing in response, knowing that his mate would be able to feel how happy he was with the news. "Let's go to bed, Nik," he leaned down and whispered into his mate's ear.

Klaus immediately swept Jeremy into his arms at the request and flashed them up to their room, closing the door softly behind them. He relished in the laugh his mate let out as he tossed him gently onto the bed, He kicked off his shoes and pulled off his mate's, setting them by the door of the room. He climbed onto the bed, lying down beside Jeremy. "How are you feeling love?" he asked, wrapping an arm around the boy's waist and pulling him up against his side.

Jeremy made himself comfortable and then pondered Klaus's question. How did he feel? "Surprisingly, I feel happy, Nik," he replied. He rolled slightly on top of his mate, who wrapped his arms tighter around him. "I think I've always known and accepted that sooner or later I would have to leave Elena behind. It doesn't hurt as much anymore. I think these past few days have just been a shock. There's a difference after all between accepting that it will happen and it actually happening."

Klaus nodded in agreement, remaining silent as he pressed a kiss to the top of Jeremy's head. After a few moments, he slipped out from under Jeremy, shedding all of his clothes except for his boxers. He turned back around to see Jeremy reaching out for him with a cute pout on his face. He chuckled softly and instead of taking hold of him, he stripped him of his shirts and his jeans. He settled back down on the bed with his mate half on top of him and pressed to his side.

Jeremy dozed off for a few moments and when he woke up, he turned his head slightly and noticed that Klaus was asleep, which made him blink in surprise at the sight. He shook off his surprise, deciding that his hybrid needed the sleep since he was surely feeling his own stress but Jeremy's because of their bond. He exhaled softly and looked around the room, spotting a duffel bag beside the bed that looked like one of his own.

So as to not wake Klaus, he stretched his leg out and snagged the strap of the bag, lifting it up onto the bed. He pulled it closer and opened it, riffling through it. His fingers encountered what felt like a book and he pulled it out, his breath catching when he noticed that it was the book where Klaus had found the hybrid myth.

He cracked the book open at a random page, settled back down on top of Klaus and began to read, using his mate as a table. He read in silence for the length of the first few pages but when he got through 4 pages from he had started, he had to stop and reread that page.

Hybrids gain powers from completing their bond with their mates if and once they find them. However, it must be noted that the mates themselves are likely to gain powers from their hybrid partners, depending on what species they are themselves. For human mates, it is thought that they will gain immortality from their bond with a hybrid although it is not for certain. If the species of the mate is vampire, it is….

Jeremy stopped there, rereading that passage again for the third time but the passage still didn't change at all. He hesitated, wanting to wake Klaus but his mate needed sleep and he wasn't certain that he could wake him up for something that was mere opinion and not concrete in the book.

The decision and the potential guilt were taken away from him as Klaus stretched under him and his eyes began to open. He quickly took the book from on top of Klaus, flipping it face down, open to the page he had been reading and placed it beside him on the bed.

Klaus rolled his head on the pillow to be able to look Jeremy clear in the eyes. He smiled softly at the teenager, bringing his hand up to twine in the chocolate brown locks he loved so much. He gently pulled his mate's head down and he rose up to meet him and kissed him softly on the lips before he let him go and collapsed back down onto the bed.

"Is something wrong, love?" he asked softly, noticing that there was a hint of confusion and another emotion that he could not identify in his mate's eyes. He allowed a frown to cross his face as he watched Jeremy reach out and pick up an open book from the bed. He accepted it when it was handed to him, his frown deepening slightly in his growing confusion.

Taking the cue from the look on his mate's face, he read the page the book had been open to. He didn't grasp what about these two pages could have possibly generated this reaction in his mate until he read them for a second time. He froze and then slowly raised his eyes to look at his mate again, lowering the book to the bed as he did so.

"You could be immortal, love," Klaus whispered, his shock echoed in his mate.


End file.
